


Avoiding the Inevitable

by AndyWBlackstorn



Series: Through Chrissie's eyes (alternative universe) [16]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF, Queen (Band)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Romance, Slow Burn, Through Chrissie's eyes, through Chrissie's eyes verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2020-03-19 20:34:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 61
Words: 84,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18977872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndyWBlackstorn/pseuds/AndyWBlackstorn
Summary: Louisa May has always been a great supporter of the career of her father and her uncles, even though she did not like the many consequences of their fame. So she tried to live a quiet life, but the idea of making Queen's story in a movie changed her plans, and without Louisa knowing, for Gwilym Lee, making that movie changed his plans as well. They both tried to avoid what was inevitable. (it takes place in the universe of Through Chrissie's Eyes).





	1. Chrissie's invitation

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set primarily as a work of fiction, inspired by the life and work of the band Queen and its members, stories and facts that were part of their trajectory, as well as the adapted version featured in the movie "Bohemian Rhapsody."
> 
> "Avoiding the Inevitable" is part of the universe of "Through Chrissie's eyes", both are fundamentally based on the version of the film and its fictional version of the members of Queen, structuring mainly in the narrative line of the film.
> 
> It is understood that a work of fiction grants some creative freedoms, and is using poetic license, and exploring hypothetical situations that I decided to modify real facts for the story, setting it up as an alternative universe.
> 
> However, despite the changes, it is understood that the characters remain faithful to what has already been established within their personalities, changing some aspects and events. Still, it is worth mentioning that I maintain respect for events that have happened to Queen members and the movie cast in real life, and it is up to readers to view real life as something quite different from this work of fiction. Once again I point out, the characters' version of the story is fictional, not being completely related to the actual people represented.

Louisa had just given her last class that morning, some of her students had running out of the classroom at the signal for the end of the class, but others, being respectful to Miss. May, arranged their things more slowly, and even took some time to wish the teacher a good day.

"Good morning, my darlings," replied Louisa to the children, "and don't forget to do homework!"

Her students nodded and then left her alone, and it was Louisa's turn to pack her backpack and go home too. It had been a fruitful class, despite the sleep and disinterest of some students, the usual ones, after all history was a little boring for some, but not for her. Since she was a child, she loved when her mother quoted interesting historical facts suddenly, when she associated the events of the day with something that had happened so long ago.

But she wasn't always sure she wanted to be a history teacher. It all started when Louisa felt pressured by her father's fame. When she was just a kid, she enjoyed all the excitement of the shows and traveling to so many different places, as if she was living a new adventure in each ride. But when she became a teenager, she sensed media speculation about her and her family, and even the fact that her father had to stop to meet someone when they went out somewhere, no matter how he was just being polite, the fact that her father was constantly noticed bothered her.

Louisa felt so exposed and without privacy that she decided to make a drastic decision. She loved her parents and her siblings, and the home they had built in London, but it was time for her to pursue her independence, to live her own life without being in the shadow of anyone.

At age 18, Louisa left her home with the consent of her parents, telling her family that she would spend a gap year at Grandma Maggie's house in Leeds. Her belongings were a backpack with his favorite books and clothes, the money she had was from her allowance, which she was saving for a long time.

Her mother had struggled not to cry in front of her in the farewell, but eventually she cried anyway, her father supported her, understanding very well the experiences that Louisa wanted to have, that one day he wanted and lived. Her siblings wished her good luck, Jimmy wouldn't have the same courage and was well where he was, Emily was too young to even think about such a trip.

Louisa then left, but she didn't tell the truth to her parents, she wanted to know every corner of England between London and Leeds. So she stayed in a cheap hotel and took a temporary job to increase her savings. Usually she was being a waitress or washing dishes in small cafes, getting 30 pounds a day. She walked from place to place, content to be a simple anonymous.

People didn't usually question her much, with the typical questions of who she was and where she was going. She didn't stay long enough in the same place to people have the courage to ask, but Louisa knew they imagined what had happened to her so that she'd suddenly appeared with only a backpack on her back. They had better think whatever they wanted.

Eventually she came to Grandma Maggie's house, and her reception was marked by long sermons.

"It wasn't for you to have arrived much earlier?" -said her grandmother, making it clear who Louisa's mother had drawn her concern "I was worried so much, I already thought the worst had happened, or that you had given up on coming here at best, but Chrissie would tell me if this was the case. I just didn't say anything to your mother because I knew she would worry more than I did. So, what took you so long?"

"Well, I ..." the young lady was afraid of the reaction of the grandmother "I stopped on the road in various places, to know my country better ..."

"That seems to me a fugitive thing, and you're no criminal, my love." Mrs. Mullen was calm, trying to understand what was going on with her granddaughter "what were you running away from? As far as I know you didn't fight with your parents."

"Well, my father has something to do with it," Louisa breathed, seeing that her grandmother wouldn't condemn her, "it's just that it bothers me that he's a famous person, that's bad when you don't want to get attention, but it's not his fault, I know, I'm not angry with him for that, it's just ... I wanted to be anonymous and unknown at least once in my life."

"Oh, my dear Lou, I think your behavior is explained, I understand why you wanted to take some risk," Maggie smiled, "and it's good that your parents have raised you up very well because God knows what would have happened to you if you hadn't think right."

"Yeah," Louisa agreed, "I didn't take a hasty attitude, I mean, it looks like I did, but you know, I organized myself well until I got here."

"I know, that's what I meant," her grandmother replied, "now that you're here, take those worries out of your head, and bother to be just Lou, famous for her sharp tongue and being my beloved granddaughter."

"Grandma, I'm not that bad." The girl laughed, whic made her grandmother shake her head.

It was in Leeds, having contact with her mother's things, especially the history books that Chrissie had left behind, that Louisa realized how much she loved History and decided to be a teacher like her mother, who had always been one of her greatest inspirations .

Knowing what she would face back in London, Louisa just decided to face it and ignore it when someone wanted to take some sort of advantage or try something else because she was one of Queen's guitarist's daughters.

Her college years were calmer than she'd imagined, being discreet about her family from the first day she arrived. Only the closest ones knew who her father was and she made a point of making it clear that they had better not mention it. Even if she didn't admit to herself, Louisa could scare and silence everyone who wanted to mention her father because he was famous. Her rather elusive behavior disturbed her a little to make friends, so she had few colleagues in college.

She graduated with honors at Oxford, getting a good job soon, and paying for her own apartment. With her independence finally won, Louisa could feel that she was finally building her own life, with no labels or curious expectations about her, being just herself.

So, on the way home, while waiting for the bus she had to pick up, she heard the cell phone ringing and immediately picked it up. She gave a half-eager, half-content smile as she read "Mom" on the screen. Chrissie had always been concerned about her daughter and called her almost every day, which was comforting and annoying at the same time to Louisa. However, the girl noticed that it wasn't common for her mother to call at that hour, which made her rather suspicious.

"Hi, Mom," she answered quickly to discover the reason for the call.

"Oh, Lou, I know you must be on the way home now, but I wanted to let you know as soon as possible, to make sure you'll come," Chrissie explained, but without clarifying the main details.

"Mom, if you don't tell me where I'm going, I might be able to give up on going," said Louisa, confused by the lack of explanations, "is it a Queen event?"

She had avoided much of everything involving Queen when her annoyance hit was big enough, and she thought what her mother could only be talking about something like that.

"Well, it has to do with the band, but the boys aren't exactly the center of attention now," Chrissie made a point of saying, "it's that this morning we had a meeting with the cast of the movie and ..."

"Wait, did you say "movie"?" Louisa got more confused "does it mean that the rumors about the Queen movie are true?"

She'd seen something about it on the internet, since Queen had always orbited her life, but she hadn't had much to do with the news.

"Yes, the film officially went into pre-production today," her mother confirmed, not feeling hurt at her daughter's lack of information. "Well, we got where I wanted to, your father invited the actor who's going to play him for dinner today, to meet our family and ask some questions to help with the interpretation. Are you coming, Lou?"

So Louisa's father really wanted to force the whole family to meet a stranger because of Queen, and even more so, because fo a movie about the band. She thought it unfair to think he was mean or selfish, but she felt uncomfortable with the idea.

"Um ..." she tried to balance her thoughts, "did you meet this actor?"

"Oh yes, Gwilym!" Chrissie sounded too excited for her daughter "he is a sweetheart, Lou, so kind and respectful, and he's just like your father, I even got shocked when I saw him."

"Okay," Louisa said and considered what her mother had said, she couldn't doubt Chrissie May's judgment about anyone, it was a gift she had, and if she had said so many compliments for this Gwilym, it might be worth knowing him, no matter how much it was due to Queen's fame "what time is dinner?"

"At eight o'clock," Louisa felt her mother smiled when she spoke, "and don't be late, Louisa."

"I'm on it, I don't want to hear a sermon," the girl laughed, "and it will be good to see everyone."

"Certainly, thank you for accepting Lou" Chrissie was really grateful and quiet, since she came to think that perhaps she wouldn't accept "I'll see you later, I love you."

"I love you too, Mom, bye." Miss. May hung up, sighing, waiting for her bus again, trying not to raise so much expectation about dinner.


	2. The Mays' reunion

Gwilym was definitely nervous, to the point of almost regretting his acceptance of the invitation. But how could he refuse? He was about to play Brian May, who had been so kind to him since he met him, and then Mrs. May was even more generous, inviting him to dinner, helping him with his new job, offering to talk about who was the guitarist, far beyond his role in the band, but also as a member of his family.

Of course, it would be easier for Gwilym to stay at home, watching countless Queen and Brian videos, training in front of the mirror, imitating all the quirks he had already noticed, but thinking better, using his methods of interpretation, his conclusion was that it would be far more profitable to talk to the very person who he would play, who was willing to tell stories and answer all the questions the actor would like to ask. It was a rare thing when it came to play a real person, and it was an opportunity he couldn't lose. That was how he calmed down, starting to get ready for dinner.

Finishing to decide what to wear, he sighed deeply, deciding to enjoy dinner and be as cordial as possible. He wondered if he was dressed too formal, or too casual, Chrissie and Brian had been quite relaxed in the invitation, so he managed to maintain a look that balanced both, neat but not exaggerated. The shirt over his pants, a dar jacket, jeans and social shoes.

After ordering a cab, he waited at the porch of his building, and so he made his way to the May house in Barnes. Elsewhere in London, Louisa still felt uncomfortable with the pressure her mother had placed in her presence. It was clear that she didn't want to get involved with anything else that was related to Queen, but she hadn't attended such a dinner with her family for some time, and moreover, she remembered her father, how happy he would be if she go. If there was someone Louisa loved and worked hard to make him happy, it was her father who, after all, always did his best to take care of her and her siblings.

"Okay, just for you I'm going to do this ..." she murmured to the portrait on the dressing table, a photo of her at 14, with her parents at her side.

Without even suspecting that she shared the same doubts as the guest of honor at her parents' dinner, Louisa decided to dress as if she would dress for another day of work, not completely formal, not completely sloppy. A plaid shirt, with dark jeans, sneakers and her favorite cardigan over it. Looking in the mirror, she wiggled her hair to distract herself from the strange feeling she was feeling, deciding to pin it on the top of her head. So she decided she was ready, going to take the subway to Barnes.

The sight of the old house where she had spent her childhood and adolescence was a relief to Louisa, which helped to dispel concern. Unceremoniously, she opened the unlocked front door, and before she called for someone, she smiled as she looked inside the house, with few changes, ever since she'd moved out.

"Mom?" asked the girl, eager to see Chrissie.

"You came!" Mrs. May received her daughter with joy "it's so good you came, and you're up to date!"

"Oh, Mother, after such a solemn request from you, I was so touched that I couldn't refuse!" Louisa said in a formal joking tone, giving her mother a long hug, partly out of mocking exaggeration, partly out of missing her mother.

"Stop it, girl, that's not fair with me." Chrissie scold her, but she laughed.

"It's because you're exaggerated and dramatic," Louisa explained.

"You're lucky I missed your sense of humor." Mrs. May ended up joking "come, Rory and Isaac have arrived."

"Ah that's great!" Louisa said with relief, since she wouldn't have to face the freaking dinner alone.

She followed her mother into the living room, and Louisa smiled at her nephew. Isaac was concentrating on his cell phone, just like any other 13-year-old would be, hardly noticing she was there.

"Hi, Isaac," Louisa said, careful not to distract him.

"Aunt Lou? Auntie Lou!" Isaac looked incredulous at first, but then ran to hug her.

"I missed you too," she laughed "Are you excited for this dinner?"

"Well, there's food, so..." The boy shrugged and his aunt just shook her head. "But I think I'll enjoy meeting Gwilym Lee."

"Wow, even you know his name?" Louisa was a little astonished that her nephew was involved with the subject of the film.

"Of course I know, Grandpa insisted on saying it," answered Isaac.

"Okay then," and again Louisa was nervous at the thought of dinner.

By now she was getting angry with her own annoyance. Now that she had come she had no way to go back and she really had no reason to feel so irritated. After talking to Rory, who also seemed lively and curious about the actor, she was just content to wait as the night unfolded. Louisa managed to feel better when her siblings arrived, first Emily and then Jimmy, both very happy for their sister's presence.

"It looks like I've been years away, it doesn't take so much of an exaggeration," she ended up getting a little annoyed.

"You don't notice your absence," Emily mused.

"You know where I live, and you have my phone number, you don't have to wait until I call," Louisa said.

"Even if we don't call, you don't mind calling," Jimmy said softly and uncomfortably.

"I don't think you're going to do this to me, Jim." Louisa pretended to be angry with her brother, "you're the one who always stood me up."

"Ok, okay, okay" their father showed up to make them stop "you three are no longer children, let Lou breathe a little okay? Soon Gwilym will arrive and I hope you don't speak like that in front of him."

"Brian, if you want him to know us for who we really are, maybe Gwilym's going to see such a discussion over dinner," their mother mused, knowing their children well.

"Anyway, you understand." Brian looked at the family, trying to keep as calm and organized as possible.

It was then Louisa felt a twinge of nervousness in her father, however much less than she was feeling. The bell made everyone watch, and then, with a sigh, the May patriarch headed for the front door. Meanwhile, Gwilym stared at the door, trying to control his own fear. He tried not to imagine what the dinner would be like, just to enjoy what would happen, hoping that everything would work out.

"Good evening, my boy." Brian May, gentle and sweet as ever, welcomed him with a handshake. "Welcome to our house, please come in and get youtself comfortable."

"Thank you, Mr. May and good evening to you too," he said, feeling flattered, which made him relieved and calmer.

"Oh, Mr. May, please, just call me Brian," the older man said, sounding good-humored.

"All right, Brian." Gwilym felt completely at home.

Soon afterwards, Mrs. May made a point of introducing him to the rest of the family. Seeing that the main guest of the night had arrived, the whole family prepared their posture to receive it. Louisa paid attention to him, really the similarities to her father were astonishing, the same height, the shape of the nose, the size of the eyes, even the cheeks reminded Brian, but he wasn't Brian. Of course, the actor was charismatic, she soon decided, it wasn't the same charisma as her father had, but somehow he had caught her attention, smiled in a timid manner, shaking hands with everyone, polite as her mother had mentioned earlier.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he said modestly, with a certain sincerity beyond pure politeness.

Gwilym at first had been intimidated by the considerable number of people he had to meet, but an instant later he realized that they were ordinary people, as eager to know him as he was. But there was something strong in the Mays' middle daughter, she seemed a little tense, a little fearful, but her polite smile made that impression run out of him. It was as if Louisa were rigid only on the outside, but she was much sweeter inside.

"Sit down, please, dinner will be served now," Chrissie said, and they all chose a seat at the table.

It was clear that everyone already had a customary place to sit, which made Gwilym rather than wait for everyone to sit down and have the place to spare. No one sat on the edge of the table. Brian, Chrissie, Emily, and Isaac took one side, while Jimmy, Rory, and Louisa took the other side, which made Gwilym have no choice but to sit on Louisa's right side, right in front of Brian and so, they started their dinner.


	3. The Dinner

Gwilym waited for everyone to serve, but Brian insisted that he be the first, and even though he was embarrassed, the guest decided that it was better to accept what his host was asking for. The meal had been prepared by Mrs. May, who loved cooking for her family, even larger dinners like that were more difficult to handle.

Louisa thought it was impolite to fix her look in the man by her side, but her curiosity was inevitable. She watched him discreetly, glancing at him, trying not to look rude. All Gwilym was doing at that moment was enjoying the meal.

It was indisputable how much Mrs. May had a gift for cooking, dinner was delicious, and that made it worth he coming tonight, but Gwilym didn't miss Miss. May by his side, looking at him occasionally. He was still a little nervous, but her attitude worried him. Well, maybe Louisa was just curious about him, after all, he was a stranger in her parents' house, maybe she wanted to pick up some subject, or the more logical explanation was that he was sitting next to her, which made her look at his direction involuntarily. Gwilym was content to believe in the third option.

It was when Louisa looked at him unintentionally, she swore to herself, and his eyes met hers. They both gave a small, dull smile, and Louisa felt her cheeks flush. She realized it was time to stop inspecting Gwilym and leave the poor man alone.

"So, Gwilym." Brian broke the silence, making Louisa relieved, and Gwilym attentive. "I believe you've started some research on me already?"

"Yeah, I don't deny it," Lee chuckled, glad to start a conversation. "I've seen a lot of interviews with you, ah, and the classic shows, Odeon, Hammersmith, Hyde Park, Montreal, Rock in Rio and of course Live Aid."

"Wow, very impressive," Brian said sincerely, "it looks like you really did your research well."

"Yeah, I prepared the best I could before I met you and soon after being cast, but I hope you don't mind my questions, Brian" Gwilym smiled shyly but excited as he finished speaking.

This didn't go unnoticed by Louisa, and in a way, she approved of the actor's behavior. He wasn't a disrespectful and disgruntled fan, he was there for his work, but he also seemed to really enjoy her father's work.

"Of course, what do you want to know?" Brian was willing to respond, with the same excitement as Gwilym, which made Chrissie and Louisa smile at the same time.

"How did you learn to play the guitar?" Gwilym said what he thought was the primary issue "I know you and your father built the Red Special together, it's a very famous story, but how did it all begin for you?"

"Well, my dad has a lot to do with it, he influenced me, he played the piano and ukulele, he gave me my first guitar when I was about eight years old, and taught me to play" Brian was telling, attracting the attention of all for him, as his story and the way he narrated were captivating "I was very attentive to the radio, I loved the Beatles when I was younger, that's when I wanted an electric guitar, and ... well you know the rest of the story. When I came to London to go to college, I met Tim and we formed two bands, the first one fell apart, but we continued together. If we wanted to keep playing, we'd have to get a drummer, that's when Roger auditioned with us and we've become friends ever since."

"But you've never chosen a musician's career as your first choice on how to make a living, have you?" Gwilym could deduce this from Brian because of other known interests of Dr. May, but he had no idea that he had just touched a delicate matter for the family.

"No, you're right" Brian smiled somewhat sadly, despite having overcome this conflict after so long "being an astrophysicist has always been my first choice, and my father wanted me to be it, but music has always been my passion, I couldn't leave one thing or another, and in time, my father understood me and I managed to reconcile both.

"Well, it seems like liking music is something inherited in your family," Gwilym commented, observant, "since you were influenced by your father."

"Oh, not so much Gwilym" it was Chrissie's turn to join in the conversation "Jimmy and Louisa did not try a career in music."

"Really?" At this point, the actor was so comfortable that he even turned to the girl on his side, since she was mentioned.

"I ... actually" Louisa felt embarrassed, but I knew I should answer "I took something from my parents, to be a teacher. My father and mother were teachers before Queen settled down in the music industry."

"Teachers? That's incredible," Gwilym nodded in approval. " You have to be so patient and dedicated, it's not a very easy job. "

"No, it's not," Louisa grinned at the actor to acknowledge her efforts, "but I love it very much."

"But at least I took after the musical side of the family," Emily added, thinking that she shouldn't let Gwilym feel disappointed in any of their family being a musician other than Brian "I am one of the music producers in Queen's studios."

"Yeah, Emily saved the three of us," Jimmy laughed at the his own sentence, "but I decided not to insist, I don't have the same talent as Dad, I ended up becoming a physical therapist myself."

"But that's cool, it shows you're different from your father, and no matter what career you chose, I'm sure Brian approved." Gwilym found these facts interesting about Brian and Chrissie's children, which made Louisa surprised and pleased at the same time.

She thought he really would expect the May to be a bands of space-loving guitarists, but that was only her father, and Gwilym showed that he respected the individuality of each of them. When she realized, she had smiled at his comment, and she remembered something else they all had in common.

"But you know, Gwilym" she felt comfortable enough to bring up a subject directly with him "my parents are great influencers of ours, and the two have influenced us in various things, like Doctor Who, for example."

"Oh yes!" Isaac said, excited to hear his aunt mention the family's favorite TV show.

"Wait, Doctor Who, did you say Doctor Who?" Gwilym's excitement increased even more.

"Yes ..." Louisa murmured, somewhat confused by his attitude, thinking that right now that she had sympathized with him, he would ruin everything by saying he didn't like Doctor Who "Why?"

"Ah, sorry I scared you - he noticed her strange reaction" is that I am also a fan, I have been since 2005, I found it by chance, but I liked it so much that I have followed since the premiere."

"The debut of the new phase, you mean, right?" Chrissie clarified.

"A new phase, you mean, from Eccleston to Tennant, or the showrunners, to Davies pyo Moffat?" Now Gwilym is confused.

"I think you don't know, but ..." Jimmy offered "Doctor Who debuted in 1963, continued until 1989, and then returned in 2005."

"Really?" Lee felt embarrassed "I didn't know it ..."

"Oh, no problem, Gwilym," Rory said playfully. "You're sitting at the experts' table, you can ask everyone here what you want to know about Doctor Who and they'll know how to answer".

"Well, thank you," Gwilym managed to laugh at the younger Mrs. May .

So Brian and Chrissie took turns explaining the whole trajectory of the Doctor that Gwilym didn't know, being occasionally aided by Jimmy, Isaac, and Emily. Louisa shared her attention between her family and her guest. It was comforting to know that Gwilym was also a whovian.

"I think in the end you're perfect to play daddy." Emily ended the discussion about the show. "You even like Doctor Who, just like him."

Gwilym smiled in response, feeling flattered and connected to the May family in a way he hadn't imagined he'd be. After dinner, they still gathered in the living room, there were other things he would like to ask. Louisa was intrigued by the actor's question about how her parents had met and married.

Talking about romance had become annoying to Louisa in recent times. She was more than 30 years old and had no stable relationship, she had focused so much on her studies and dodged her father's fame that she had never attempted to it. Sometimes she felt bad that her siblings were married and she was still single, but she tried to ignore the old feeling of being left behind. At least when the couple that they were talking were their parents, she didn't mind. She grew up watching Brian and Chrissie, and if Louisa ever married, she wished she had a happy marriage like her father and mother.

Gwilym knew the story of how Brian proposed to Chrissie after a concert, it was a famous anecdote about the guitarist, and for finding the gesture so romantic, he had to ask about it. It was even more exciting to hear the full story from Mr. and Mrs. May.

After this conversation, the actor realized how quickly the time had passed and hurried to leave, after all, the table readings of "Bohemian Rhapsody" began the next day. He waved goodbye to each member of the family, thanked Brian on the way out, and the old guitarist invited him back whenever he could. It was such a pleasant night, when Gwilym had felt so welcome that he couldn't disregard returning to the Mays' house.


	4. Friends from work

A week after meeting the Mays, getting acquainted with the script and learning it, began the great journey of the cast and the entire team in finally bringing "Bohemian Rhapsody" to life.

However, before beginning, the director had given a small task to the actors, to study hard all the footage of Live Aid because they would start just by filming this show. Then it was up to Rami, Gwilym, Ben and Joe to watch every little movement and detail of their counterparts during that performance. Of course they would rely on the help of Polly Bennet, who had studied the videos as much as they did. Still, it was a big challenge.

Arriving at the set, Gwilym met with Ben, Rami and Joe, also waiting for the moment to begin the rehearsal. It was another decision that had been made, they wouldn't be filming right the first day, the boys would need to train, get used to the stage space, get used to the sequence of actions they should perform.

"So ... how are you?" Gwilym tried to push the subject, as he always tried to do, even though he had known his co-workers a short time ago.

"For now, all right," Rami said calmly and sincerely.

"It's almost like the first day of school, right?" Joe smiled at Malek, with a certain complicity that had come to them for several years that the two of them already knew each other "we know exactly what to do, but even so, it's all new."

"It's hard to put into practice everything we already know for the first time," Ben mused quietly.

"Like Joe said. sometimes the first time to do something might look weird, but we have time to perfect it" Gwilym tried to stay optimistic.

"And time is precious to us ..." Rami added, feeling worried, since the work they had to do was a big responsibility, and they didn't want to disappoint Queen at all.

Before the four spoke of the apprehension and anxiety they felt, a production assistant came to tell them that everything was ready to begin the rehearsal.

Watching the stage, however much they were about to set foot there for the first time, they felt a bit of nostalgia for watching that same place so many times. Polly excitedly cheered them, but soon afterwards took a serious stance and commitment to the work which, even then, didn't diminish her sympathy.

She instructed the four actors to position themselves in their proper places, and then it was her turn to watch, analyze, and direct everything they were doing. Gwilym could tell that he was as focused as his colleagues, intent and focused on everything he did, barely distracted by glancing at the other three.

Lee finished the performance of playing the guitar solo of "Bohemian Rhapsody" and heard a loud "cut" of Polly, which made Rami, Ben and Joe also stop and turn their attention to her.

"It was great for the first time," said the movement coach, "but now let's correct some details."

With all sympathy, Polly pointed to each of the actors where they had to change and improve and what they could continue to do because they were following the correct steps.

The morning of the main cast of "Bohemian Rhapsody" was occupied by more and more rehearsals of the song of the same name as it was presented at Live Aid. The boys only took a short break for a snack because they would continue rehearsing much of the afternoon as well".

"I think now the nervous has passed ..." Ben sighed, feeling relieved.

"Not for me, but I confess I feel a little better now." Rami smiled shyly.

"Are you kidding me, man? You were great!" Joe put a hand on Malek's shoulder, leisurely.

"I have to agree," Gwilym added. "I know I was very focused, but I did notice your effort and really, you were very well, Rami."

"But I think I have a lot to improve on yet" he still had his doubts and self-criticism.

"Don't be so hard with yourself so much, remember what Freddie said? Work hard, but enjoy yourself too," Ben advised.

"I know, but ... Look, I can't even call him Freddie and you can do it." Rami allowed himself a small laugh. "For me, he's still Mr. Mercury."

"He's very convincing and relaxed about it," Ben said quickly.

"Don't worry, Rami, this is normal for us," Gwilym smiled sympathetically. "I can only call Brian that, too, because he insisted a lot."

"I can't either," Joe confessed, too. "I really wanted to call you Mr. Deacon Deaky, with all respect, but this takes time, just like you, Gwilym, I remember you calling Brian of Mr. May in our meeting with the band."

"Yes, Joe," Gwilym commented on that peculiar remark "Mrs. May invited me to dinner with their family, that's where Brian insisted I call him just Brian."

"Gee, did you get an invitation to meet the May family?" Ben was slightly impressed "I only met Roger, but he mentioned introducing me to his family."

"Freddie mentioned having tea, but he hasn't confirmed anything yet," Rami said, and Joe jumped a little.

"There it is, you called Freddie just Freddie!" Mazzello pointed out, and the rest of the group laughed.

"Yeah," Malek smiled contentedly, "have you received any invitation from the Deacons, Joe?"

"Not yet, but Luke and Cameron gave me a hello on Twitter, that's something," said John, "but how did it go with the Mays, Gwilym, if you don't mind telling us?"

"Oh no, I don't mind," Lee replied, getting ready to tell the story "well I was super nervous because Brian wanted me to meet the whole family and I found it a bit exaggerated at first ..."

"But you didn't tell Brian this, did you?" Ben wanted to know.

"No, not at all," Gwilym shook his head vigorously, "but it was nicer than I expected, I just made a mistake, but his kids saved me."

"What did you do?" Joe was curious.

"Well, there's a TV show I'm very fond of, Doctor Who, you know?" Gwilym explained, seeing that Ben knew what he was talking about, but Rami and Joe were confused "well, Brian's whole family is a super fan of the show as well, and I thought my whole life that the show had been created in 2005, when it was actually created in 1963, and it was they who told me that."

"Well, at least you know that now, you've got an explanation." Rami saw the bright side.

"Yeah, and then I took the time to change the subject, since I was there to ask about Brian," Gwilym continued the story, "and everyone told me something interesting about him, it was really cool."

"If you went there to talk about Brian, how did you get on the subject of Doctor Who?" Joe wanted to know.

"Oh, Louisa mentioned it was something her parents always liked and kind of passed on to their children," Gwilym said.

"Louisa is Brian's daughter, isn't she? At least you've gotten used to calling her by her name and not Miss. May," Ben teased, remembering the previous subject, making everyone laugh again.

The boys would continue to talk, but they were serious actors who were completely committed to the job, and soon returned to rehearsals, continuing to spend more of the day together for the joy of the four of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a Spotify playlist for this story too, you can find it with the name of Evitando o Inevitável/Avoiding the Inevitable playlist. Thank you for reading!


	5. The Last Rehearsal

For Gwilym, the week continued with rehearsals and more rehearsals, after all, they wanted the Live Aid presentation in the film to be the grand finale of the whole story they would tell, and he and his co-workers struggled hard to achieve this result.

Although it was a job they were loving, the four agreed that they deserved some rest at the end of each day's work. Usually this rest was going out together to eat something.

Joe was the first to give this idea that was soon accepted by Rami and Ben, and finally Gwilym. It was unanimous to choose to eat pizza, which was good to avoid conflicts over the menu.

Over dinner, they talked more about the work process and how much they were feeling in their respective parts, as well as remembering one moment or another of the day that made them laugh. The four of them lamented that they had to leave so early, since they were enjoying the conversation so much, but they remembered that they would see each other the next day again.

And so it was Rami, Joe, Ben and Gwilym's week, rehearsing for the movie and meeting each other at night. It became a habit for them to go out together whenever they could.

It was then that Friday came, and they made the decision to try for the first time the full performance of the show, unlike how they were doing on other days, working on one song at a time. While the cast was preparing for another day of work, little did they suspect that other people related to the project were also preparing to go to the set.

Queen and its advisors closely followed the process of recording the film. Graham King updated them regularly, and knowing that the cast was putting the finishing touches on the Live Aid presentation before recording, Brian, Freddie and Roger were excited to see how the boys were doing. Although somewhat reluctant at first, John eventually nodded and went along.

On the way to the set, Chrissie was quiet, pensive, sitting in the front seat next to her husband. Even aware of his driving, Brian noticed his wife's silent attitude, beginning to worry.

"Is something wrong, my flower?" he asked.

"Nothing, I was just thinking that ..." she hesitated a little, clearing her own nuisance, "don't you think you're watching them, won't you intimidate the boys? I imagine they are already feeling under a lot of pressure ..."

"No, not at all," Brian shook his head cheerfully, "we're going just to be the opposite, to support them so they know we approve of what they're doing."

"I think you'd better explain it to them, then," Chrissie said, chuckling.

"Why are you laughing, Mrs. May?" Brian was a little confused.

"It's just that you said the same thing a father would say about a presentation of his son." Chrissie told him what she was thinking. "Are you considering the boys your own children?"

"Maybe, but in a good way," he grinned, "not the weird way you made it sound."

"No, that's not what I meant," she laughed a little more. "Just don't take Rami, Ben, and Joe too, the boys will be jealous, I think Gwilym is enough."

"Okay, that's fair," he agreed with his wife, "then you say Lou took after my sense of humor ..."

"Sorry," said Mrs. May with an innocent face, but still having fun with the idea.

Just before the actors started their rehearsal, one of the producers warned them that Queen had just made it to the set.

"Oh my God, that's ..." Gwilym was the first to say something, but he could barely finish the sentence.

"Not very good," agreed Rami.

"Look, guys, let's not let it get us down," Ben opined, although he'd also been nervous about it "we're just going to focus on what we have to do."

"Yes, that's it," Joe agreed, still a little stunned.

Freddie, John, and Roger met the actors who were playing them and gave them words of encouragement, but in Gwilym's case things were a bit different.

Lee was sitting with his Red Special replica, mentally begging Brian not to ask him to play. Chrissie noticed the nervousness of the actor, and even thought to advise her husband to not make Gwilym uncomfortable, but what Brian did surprised both of them.

"Hi, Gwilym, how are you?" Dr. May greeted him, which caused the actor to rise, shaking his hand.

"Hi, Brian, I'm fine, very fine," Lee said, trying to cope with nervousness. "Hello, Mrs. May."

"Hi, Gwilym, I hope this sudden visit didn't frighten you" Chrissie was as conciliatory as ever "we just came to wish you a good work."

"Oh, thank you, Mrs. May. "Gwilym smiled relieved.

All three noticed the movement of Polly and the director, it was a sign that they were about to begin the rehearsal.

"Well, I guess our time is up for now, but-" Brian laughed softly, hugging Gwilym, who was surprised by the gesture "good luck, my lad."

"Thank you so much, Brian," Lee replied, still a little surprised, but glad to feel that Brian really was rooting for him.

The band members then let the actors do their job, just watching as mere spectators, but inside, they were trying to hold on to the emotion. As much as it all seemed so simplified, because the boys weren't dressed as the members of the band, their gestures and actions brought so many memories to Freddie, John, Roger Brian and even Chrissie that it was hard not to get excited.

Mrs. May was the first to cry more openly, followed by Roger, and John and Freddie didn't seem to be crying, but their expression was a mixture of longing and pride. Brian had a relentless smile on his face that his wife had seen so many other times whenever their children did something that made him proud. She smiled to see that her joke from moments ago made sense.

A little intimidated, the boys met up with the band, just waiting to see what Queen would say.

"It was wonderful, really wonderful!" Freddie broke the embarrassing silence "Rami, it was all so beautiful, really, you didn't lose the energy in any moment, seriously, you moved us too much ..."

"With all due respect, Freddie, the four of them did a great job" only John Deacon could scold his friend like that "I really enjoyed it, Joe."

"Thank you," Mazzello replied, moved.

"The same for you, Benny, my boy," Roger laughed as he put an arm around Ben's shoulders, which made the actor smile.

"Yeah, it was really amazing, but Gwilym ..." Brian said, making Lee worried, "Mind if I say something?"

"Of course not, you can tell me" no matter how frightened he was, Gwilym was willing to listen to improve.

"You were great, very focused, but we're rock stars, I'm a rock star, so let that flow and show up more, you know?" Brian tried to explain "enjoy the moment."

"Oh Brian, stop being so annoying, they were great!" Roger complained about his best friend's comment.

"Always thorough, my husband," Chrissie murmured with a hand on her forehead.

"No, it's all right, I understand perfectly and thank you for the tip." Gwilym smiled, undoing all the tension that might form.

"Um ... If you don't mind" Brian also had another idea to avoid his embarrassment, but it was also something he wanted to do before leaving home "can we take a picture together?"

"We've been waiting for this." Freddie rolled his eyes, but then he was posing, and everyone followed his cue.

Chrissie volunteered to take a photo in Brian's place so he could join the boys too. Through the lens of the camera, Mrs. May framed the picture, John and Joe, Ben and Roger, Freddie and Rami, Gwilym and Brian, side by side in that order. Seeing them all together, Chrissie felt moved again.

This had been the perfect end to the first leg of the long journey ahead.


	6. Impressions

Gwilym thought he was looking weird when he looked in the mirror for the first few moments. It was clear that he was waiting for that moment, since playing Brian May also meant characterizing himself as him, but Gwilym had the impression that Brian's curly hair didn''t suit him.

But that feeling soon passed, after all the look of the guitarist was super important for Gwilym to get in character, that's how the actor got used to that iconic hairstyle.

Now it wasn't long before they finally started shooting for the entire Live Aid show, which he and his co-workers, who he could also call friends now, set to their fullest for a month, so that everything would be perfect. Gwilym was confident that everything would be all right, they just had to stay focused and support each other, as they were always doing.

Lee was still somewhat distracted by the expectations about the shooting when he heard someone knock on the door of the trailer. He got up immediately, hoping it would be someone from the production to call him, telling him they would shoot, but as soon as he opened the door, the visitor surprised him. However, between the two, the visitor was the most shocked and astonished.

"Hi, Brian," Gwilym murmured, seeing that the guitarist wasn't answering.

Brian stared at him for a long moment, completely startled. It was as if he looked in the mirror, but 33 years ago. It was amazing how Gwilym had been just like him.

"Oh, Gwil, is that ... Wow ..." Brian woke up "you're just like me ... It's just ..."

After that initial moment of shock, May was able to heed other details.

"There's only one little thing here that's kind of different ..." Brian muttered, approaching Gwilym, touching the actor's wig, who was surprised by the gesture "my hair was more like this that day ..."

"Of course," Gwilym said, relieved to understand all that "thank you."

"Well, I came to wish you good luck, everything will be fine," the guitarist said again.

"Thank you very much, Brian." Lee was moved again.

"You're welcome," said May, "I'm going now."

Gwilym nodded and then breathed a sigh of relief, for a moment he thought he would take the biggest scold, but it was only Brian May astounded by so many similarities.

Unbeknownst to the actor, Brian was still stunned outside, even telling his wife Chrissie that she might be in shock as much as he did. So he decided to accompany her when she went to see Gwilym. He, on the other hand, was very pleased when he saw that Mrs. May had also made a point of seeing him.

"Hi, Mrs. May," the actor greeted in a cheerful tone of voice, "I'm glad you came to see us. Mrs. May?"

"Sorry ... Gwil, it's just ... My God!" Chrissie's emotion soon turned to tears, sending her back in 1985, remembering that time and how happy she was that day, as if she were seeing her husband that same year.

"Mrs. May, I ... " Gwilym was almost panicking because she just couldn't stop crying, and he was afraid of being the reason of that almost uncontrolled state.

"It's that you brought me so many exciting memories," she managed to justify her reaction. "I remembered Live Aid day, when I came to say hello to the boys before the show, and they were so nervous, and you ... are so like Brian that day, sorry for this whole reaction, did you see how my girls are right? I'm dramatic and a cry baby."

"It's understandable, Mrs. May, don't feel bad about it," the actor replied, understanding.

"Thank you, my dear." Chrissie was calmer now. "I will stop disturbing you."

"No, you're not disturbing at all." He hadn't bothered with her crying and watched her leave with Brian.

After so much astonishment on the part of the Mays, Gwilym began to accept that perhaps it was that way that other members of the family would react if they saw him characterized like Brian.

The call to the filmings made him let go of that thought and concentrate on his work. As much as Queen watching them brought the nervousness of the actors to the surface, this time they were more accustomed and relieved, because the band was there just to support them and cheer for them. Brian was back with the boys, taking pictures and more photos, filming and recording everything he could.

"Go kill'em, boys, just kill'em, kill'em" the guitarist wished, shortly before they began shooting.

The director's "action" scream left Ben, Joe, Rami, and Gwilym on alert, and then, after the break, they put into practice everything they studied, still feeling the thrill and adrenaline of that great moment. When the director finally said "cut," the four embraced together, celebrating their great achievement and their friendship that also allowed them to conquer it. Really they had become friends, brothers. Queen praised the actors, and then the band and Mrs. May also get very excited, everyone went back home.

At that moment, another person also had finished another day at work. The memories of dinner with her family touched Louisa's heart and awakened in her a huge desire to visit her parents. And as hard as she could admit, she rarely called, it was always her mother who did it first. Before she left school, she dialed Chrissie's number.

"Mom, hi!" said Ms. May, excited to hear from her mother, but soon worried "is everything okay? Were you crying?"

"Crying? Ah yes, I was, but don't worry" Chrissie laughed, which made her daughter relieved and confused at the same time "we just arrived from the set of the movie."

"Oh, the movie." Louisa lost some of her enthusiasm.

"It's just that the lads recorded Live Aid today and Lou, it was like going back in time and seeing everything live again, they were so identical to your father and uncles ..." Chrissie was moved, "Gwilym, my God, he was just like your father, really! But sorry, what did you want to say?"

Louisa was grateful for her mother's realization that she wanted to change the subject.

"I wanted to go there now, I just wanted to check if you were there." Ms. May told her plans.

"Really? You can come, Lou, come over, baby girl, we're waiting for you." Chrissie said it more lively than when she spoke about the movie, which made Louisa happy.

"Well then, I'll be there soon enough," she said, already preparing for the matter her parents would want to talk about.

As much as she wasn't so excited about the movie, it would be worth bearing the subject just to see her parents.


	7. A visit on the set

Every time she went to her parents' house, Louisa always felt good. If someone asked her which were her favorite places in the world, she would certainly answer that it was Grandma Maggie's house and her parents' house, where she lived all her childhood and adolescence, where she had lived her best memories. And today, when she went to see her parents, she felt good again.

 

This time she preferred to ring the doorbell, waiting patiently for someone to answer. So, some time later, her father opened the door, smiling and affectionate as always, wrapping her in a hug.

 

"Your mother said you would come," Brian told his daughter as they entered, "I could hardly believe, to what do we owe so much honor?"

 

"Just my longing for my daddy and my mommy," Louisa said playfully, but she was being honest.

 

When she saw her mother, she was even more pleased and surprised to see that Chrissie was preparing her family's favorite dessert and her specialty, spongecake.

 

"Hi, Lou, how are you, daughter? How was school today?" Mrs. May pulled on the subject, knowing how her daughter loved to talk about work.

 

"Oh well, the children finished an essay today, I asked them to tell me what lessons they learned from Napoleon's war strategies" Ms. May was telling as she sat at the table, watching her mother cook "it's incredible what some have answered, these children are getting smarter, but not all, you know? There is always a bad influence of the media that prevents them from thinking right, or it is just the lazy to think a little more, but anyway, this teacher talk should bore you."

 

"No, not at all," Chrissie denied, "have forgotten that we were teachers as well? It's interesting to know how you deal with this new generation, in our time things were different."

 

"But you have not been teachers for a long time ..." Louisa said more like an outburst, making a small reference to all the music work with which her parents were involved.

 

"Speaking of which, I hope you don't mind me talking about filming today." Brian continued the conversation, excited to tell her what he had seen.

 

"Of course, Mom said you were on the set of the movie earlier today." The daughter was genuinely interested, and as much as the freaking subject she wanted to avoid had come, it was impossible to deny attention to her father when he was so excited. It was simply wonderful for Louisa to see how Brian was when he talked about something he loved, and the movie about Queen was his new obsession.

 

"They recorded Live Aid today and it was all so perfect, Lou," Brian said in a pure state of enchantment. "At first it was kind of weird to see the boys like us, but then we got used to it and it was like seeing everything we did that day, almost like a time travel."

 

"Impressive," his daughter said with a smile.

 

"Impressive is Gwilym like your father, seriously, Lou, I thought I was going to faint," Chrissie laughed as she recalled her reaction.

 

"You're overreacting, Mama," Louisa said, amused.

 

"Okay, maybe the part of fainting, but I'm serious," Ms. May, a little more energetic "oh, you know, show the pictures to her, Bri!"

 

"I'm on it, my love," Brian said, already with his cell phone in his hand, as he almost didn't separate from it, searching his gallery and handing the device to his daughter.

 

"Okay, he is alike Dad, but ..." Louisa watched carefully, seeing Gwilym's resemblance to her father when he was younger "it's not the same, anyway, from the photo you can see who's who."

 

"You're saying this just to be a dull, aren't you?" Her father laughed. "You know what? I'm sure you'd change your mind if you saw him in person."

 

"Dad, I've seen Gwilym personally," Louisa continued jokingly, "and I've already noticed what he looks like to you."

 

"That's not what your father meant, you know, to see Gwilym as Brian, with his hair, his clothes, and everything else." Chrissie was more specific.

 

"To do that I'd have to go to the set." Louisa realized that was exactly what her father wanted when she spoke out loud. "Dad! No, I won't, I don't want to go, I don't have to go."

 

"Hey, don't put words in my mouth, I did not say anything." Brian raised his hands in defense, pretending to be innocent.

 

"I know you very well, Dad, and I'm sure you'd ask for it since you started on this subject," Louisa explained, but not angry, just a little annoyed and surprised "but seriously, I don't know what use I would have on set, I imagine you're going to supervise the musical part, but I'm just a teacher who has no talent for music."

 

"But you are my daughter and ..." he realized that it was best not to continue, otherwise he would touch on a delicate subject, _"and you don't like some privileges that being the daughter of a famous guitarist brings"_ , he thought, and remade his speech "It would be nice if I could share all this with you, just a little."

 

Old Dr. May's eyes dropped, in a melancholy and sorry way, which moved Louisa.

 

"No crying, Dad, I can go, I will go, all right? I'll go." She touched her father's face, assuring him that she would keep what she was promising.

 

"Thank you." Brian returned to his former enthusiasm, smiling like a child, kissing his daughter's hand.

 

Louisa just shook her head, smiling at the attitude that, however childlike and exaggerated, was sincere.

 

A few days later, Brian warned his daughter about the day they would visit the set again and, together with her parents, feeling a bit like a child again, Louisa came to the movie studio. When she came across the place, she allowed herself to be admired and impressed, it was incredible what could be built inside an enclosed space, giving life to so many different environments and the scenery they built for the scene they would shoot today caught her attention. Pulling from her memory, Louisa knew she had never been to the place they rebuilt, she didn't recognize the stage and the rest of the structure. There it was relatively small if it were to be compared to a real stadium, but if it were to think, all they needed was scenes from the band and the fans, then the rest would be done in post-production, making those who would watch the movie believe that there it was a real stadium, it was the old magic of cinema.

 

With little else to do, Louisa sat down next to her mother, just watching the scene, trying not to disturb anyone's work. Brian, restless as an animated boy, positioned himself to take pictures and film everything he could.

 

"Mom, this show they're going to film, I don't remember seeing it, do you know what it is?" she asked, really wanting to calm her curiosity.

 

"Ah, Madison Square Garden in New York," Chrissie smiled at knowing how to respond very specifically "I was pregnant with you, it was the show your grandparents came to see."

 

"The one Dad and granpa Harold made amends?" Louisa remembered the stories "oh yes ..."

 

As she stormed the new information, a stirring of extras and production assistants caught her attention, and as Louisa turned her eyes to the stage, she saw that the actors were already there, just waiting for the cue to start recording.

 

Soon she noticed Gwilym in one of the corners of the stage, but it wasn't Gwilym. Louisa's eyes fixed on him, her heart racing, it was too incredible to believe. Not even the director's "action" took her out of that state, it was as if Louisa had returned to her childhood, it was like watching her father and her uncles playing and performing when she was just a little girl. The extras were accompanying "We Will Rock You" with the traditional claps that her father had created. It was always one of her favorite songs, and in a state of complete enchantment, Louisa rose to her feet and began clapping her hands, even muttering the words of the song.

When Brian or Gwilym could no longer tell which of them he was, he stepped forward to play the guitar solo, Louisa thought she had returned to being a child, and her father was right there on that stage. When the director said "cut", it was like the magic word to get her out of that state of involvement. Ms. May looked at herself, checking her height, yes, she was still an adult, and yes, her father was right, watching the filming was like going back in time.

 

There was a short break before the cast knew if they would need to re-record a few excerpts again and it was only then that Gwilym noticed Louisa's presence. Having another May family member supporting their work made him feel even more honored and flattered. He felt that he had to thank her personally, and went to where she was to do it.


	8. Talking in the Break

Louisa's heart began to race with sheer astonishment as she saw Gwilym approaching. Seeing him exactly as her father was when she was younger still made her dizzy and so she kept saying, "It's Gwilym, not my father, it's Gwilym, not my father." Sighing deeply, she composed herself as she realized the actor was about to talk to her. When Louisa turned she was a bit calmer, but still it was strange to look at him like that, without the beard, with the curly hair and the costumes of the movie.

"Hi, Miss. May, I didn't expect a visit from you to our set, but thank you very much for coming" Gwilym said in all cordiality, being kind as always, but without realizing that Louisa was a little shaken, then he wondered why she was like this, because of his Brian May clone appearance at that time.

"Oh, Gwilym, hi." Louisa stumbled a little at the words, but hearing his voice helped to shake her out of that state of astonishment, his voice was not like Brian's, which gave her the certainty that he was the actor, not her young father in front of her.

"Sorry to ask, but are you okay?" He was really worried.

"I'm fine, It's just a silly thing, you don't have to worry, but thank you for caring." Louisa nodded.

"Right," and suddenly Gwilym didn't know how to continue the conversation.

"It's just that watching you filming now has brought me so many memories, I really didn't expect to be so moved" she felt she should explain to him why she was like that.

"Did you see this concert when you were a kid?" Gwilym deduced.

"Not at all" Louisa laughed softly. "I actually asked my mom which concert was because I didn't remember it and then she said that I hadn't even been born when my father and the uncles, I mean Queen, performed it. I think I was touched because ... It was like seeing them for the first time, or rather an unpublished show of the band as I met them, that is, when I was a child, I kind of went back to being a child ... Oh, Sorry, I wandered too much, I think I'm making you late."

"No, no, not at all," he reassured her, "we're in a little break, and look, I really enjoyed knowing all about it, whether we like it or not, our goal is to be identical to Queen, so ..."

"Don't tell me about being identical ..." she blurted out. "Sorry, I think you must be tired of hearing how much you look like my father."

"You're not wrong." It was Gwilym's turn to laugh a little. "I thought Mrs. May was going to faint when she saw me like this."

"Oh, no, Mom is dramatic, but she can handle a lot," Louisa said, making sure of that. "But I can imagine the size of the shock, she told me a bit about it."

"It was very interesting to experience," he remarked as he remembered.

"Re-shooting in five minutes, please, everyone in your places," they heard the voice of the production assistant in the speakers.

"You have to go, right?" Louisa realized, knowing that she had to close the conversation, no matter how she liked it.

"Yes, but if you can wait, I'll talk to you later, as soon as I'm done." Gwilym also bothered to leave the conversation unfinished.

"All right," she agreed, and watched him return to the stage.

This time her brain stored information that these were actors, no matter how much they resembled her uncles and her father. As they stopped a little between each take, Louisa became more convinced of that. You could tell the difference when they were out of character.

"We Will Rock You" played again, and the song didn't bring bad memories, only good things that happened in her childhood associated with that song. Chrissie had always said that she had recently found out that she was pregnant with Louisa when Brian composed and recorded "We Will Rock You" and Mrs. May even contributed to the tapping and clapping with so many other people. It was undeniable Louisa's great connection to this song, but here, behind the scenes of the movie, seeing Gwilym and the other actors filming, it was the first time she listened to "We Will Rock You" after so long without hearing it.

A while later, she watched another movement of the team on set, it seemed like they were packing things to get away. She watched Gwilym leave the stage, but he didn't come to her as he had promised, which left her suspicious. There was only one person besides him who could answer where he had gone.

"Mom," Louisa hurried to call, taking advantage of Chrissie's proximity "where did Gwilym go?"

"Oh, they closed the filming for today Lou, they must have gone to the dressing room to change," Chrissie pointed out most likely.

"Oh yes," Louisa understood, and then decided to trust that the actor would come back and talk to her as he had promised.

For a moment, Chrissie left her daughter to check on Brian. In the dressing room, there was a doubt hovering between the main cast.

"Gwil?" Joe was the first to ask, as usual, but he swore to himself that it was only because Ben and Rami were curious.

"Yeah," Gwilym allowed, in a casual tone.

"Who was the girl you were talking to?" Mazzello went straight, which caused murmurs of complaint from his companions.

"It was Louisa, Brian's daughter," Gwil replied, astonishing Ben and Rami's reaction. "Why?"

"No, nothing, we didn't meet her, I didn't even know Brian had a daughter." Joe tried to disguise his interest.

"I remember that I said that Brian has two daughters, I just don't know where you want to go with this conversation, Joe ..." Lee was confused and irritated.

"Are you sure you don't, Gwil?" Ben folded his arms and said suggestively.

"What?" Gwilym's expression contracted when he realized what Joe might be hinting at "dude, we only met a little while ago and, to be honest, it was going to hurt me to be interested in Brian May's daughter, it seems like I'm taking advantage of them for playing his part in the film, is very weird. It's weird, do you understand, Joseph?"

"Of course, but I don't know, you could introduce us to her, just to thank her for her presence here." Mazzello was not going to give up to take a closer look at how Gwilym was behaving near Louisa.

"Do you really want to do that?" Gwilym was no longer believing anything of what Joe was saying, distrusting his real intentions.

"It's just a gesture of gratitude," Rami confirmed.

"All right then," Gwil yielded, shrugging, waiting them get ready to go talk to Miss. May.

Louisa couldn't deny that she was happy to see Gwilym coming to her, and moreover, without the characterization that left him as her father. "He's back to normal, great," she thought, but her thought shifted to "Oh, boy he got excited" when she saw the rest of the cast along with him. "Well, Louisa, who told you to come to the set? Did you really think you weren't going to meet the whole cast?" With that last thought, she finally accepted that it wouldn't hurt to meet the boys.

"Hi, Miss. May, I came back, as I said" Gwilym gave a beautiful smile, for being excited, which didn't go unnoticed by her "the guys noticed that you were here and insisted to meet you, I hope you don't mind."

"That's okay, really." Louisa looked at the actors she didn't meet yet, noticing the similarities with her uncles, but grateful that they were like themselves now.

"Rami, Ben and Joe," Lee introduced them, pointing to each as he said their names "I think you know who plays who."

"Yes, yes, the similarities are notorious," she nodded. "Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all ours, thank you for visiting us," Rami told for him and his friends.

"You're very welcome, you know, my father insisted that I come and convinced me," she confessed,"but it was an incredible experience for me, really."

Gradually, Hardy, Mazzello and Malek said goodbye, leaving their co-worker with Queen's guitarist's daughter. Gwilym knew their rush was due to dinner among the four they'd arranged earlier.

"Um, I have to go, I guess you too, but thanks again for coming, Miss. May," he said in farewell.

"Louisa," she said with a smile of admiration for his upbringing, "you can call me Louisa."

"Okay, I didn't even realize it, I think it's my habit," he laughed to disguise his own embarrassment, "so Louisa, if you want to come back another day, you're welcome."

"All right ..." that had made her startled again and embarrassed, she hadn't thought of that possibility "if I could. You know, I have classes, school ..."

"Sure, of course," he remembered, and he respected her commitments "all right then. So, bye."

"Bye." Louisa answered in an automatic way and there was a small moment when they didn't know how to greet each other before they parted, she solved it by reaching out her hand.

Gwilym squeezed it gently and then walked away. When Louisa turned around looking for her parents, she didn't know where they had gone, but just waited, thinking the movie was not such a bad thing after all.


	9. Clarifying Things

Gwilym was the first to arrive at the restaurant that he had arranged to go with the boys, and while he waited for Ben, Rami and Joe to arrive, he took the time to think about Mazzello's innuendos.

By this time, already working with him for some time, Gwilym was accustomed to his extroverted and playful personality, but the way Joe spoke of Louisa bothered him. All he had done was just to thank her for coming to see them and support their work, out of sheer education. It was the obvious thing to do, at least it was expected of a polite person. Gwilym just didn't understand why Joe had seen something else in a simple conversation.

Ben and Rami had arrived together and waved to Gwilym, sitting down at the same table he had next.

"Where's Joe?" Lee asked them.

"I think he's going to be a little late, he's coming by cab, maybe he's getting stuck in traffic," Ben explained, deducing why he was late.

"Oh, fine," Gwilym replied, rather harshly, that made his friends worried.

"Gwil, sorry to ask, but you got angry at Joe, because of what he say about Louisa?" Rami had the courage to ask.

"It's not really anger, I just don't know where he got it from," Lee said, trying to explain his feelings about it. "I'm trying to think of a reason why he thought ... Well, you know."

"Gwil, relax, I'm sure it was a joke anyway." Ben said his thoughts, trying to comfort his friend.

At a very appropriate time, Joe had just arrived to clear their doubts.

"There he is, just who I expected." Gwilym greeted him, excited, but sarcastically.

"I don't know what I did was right or wrong, I just know there's a bit of irony there." Joe took his place and turned to Ben and Rami quickly. "Hi again, guys. What's up, Gwilym?"

"Okay, since you want to know, we'll deal with it like civilized adults," Lee proposed, which took Joe's smile off, but made Gwilym himself smile with satisfaction.

"Gwil, seriously, try not to fight over it, it looks like you're getting angry." Ben pointed, worried.

"I'm not angry, guys." Gwilym blushed and broke his stiff posture, realizing that all his seriousness was frightening his friends "it's just ... Joe, why did you say I was interested in Louisa?"

"Calm down, Gwil, that was more of a joke," Joe insisted, "but can I be more honest?"

"Please." Lee was willing to go to the end of it.

"You were so excited when you recognized it was her and rushed to talk to her and then ..." Joseph broke off, turning red and giving a dull smile.

"Then what?" Gwilym instigated, which left Rami and Ben uncomfortable for being witnesses of that discussion / almost fight.

"Even from afar I could see that you were very happy to talk to her, you were kind, considerate ..." Joe searched for more features as he nodded, waiting for his friend to come to the same conclusion "I could feel the spark from far away".

"Spark?" Gwilym repeated with a grimace, already losing patience with that subject, wanting to get it over with.

"Yeah, a spark," Mazzello insisted, but carefully "but I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable because of my joke, I didn't mean to be disrespectful to you and especially to Louisa. I'm really sorry, Gwil."

"Okay, okay, I went to talk to her for politeness, that's all, seriously," Lee replied, much calmer now.

"I know." Joe gave a small, understanding smile.

"You know that's one of the problems of nowadays?" "Rami felt it was safe to enter into the conversation "confusing politeness with love intentions, it's a very common thing, at least in America, isn't it Joe?"

"Very funny, Rami." Joe frowned at his friend.

"Maybe Joe just brought this to England," Ben teased.

"I doubt it, but seriously, Rami is right, I think that was my case, I was only polite," Gwilym said thoughtfully, and that was how they ended the subject and left Louisa May alone.

Louisa was working at home when she didn't even suspect Gwilym and the cast boys were talking about them. In fact, talking to Gwilym and seeing their filming also was in her mind a lot.

All that experience had brought a new feeling to her heart, which however new it was, was tied to her memories of before. It was hard to explain, but it was good, definitely good.

She had put together the last of her students essays to correct them that night. Sitting at her desk, she began to read them, concentrating on the words and evaluating them, however, Louisa felt uncomfortable. She was accustomed to correcting tests and essays in silence, but the absence of noise from the apartment made her feel weird.

She ignored this annoyance for a moment, redoubling her attention to her task. Feeling a little mental fatigue, she paused, taking a deep breath. Involuntarily, she began to tap the pen on the table, while her brain regained its energies.

The sound that the pen on the table made was low, but because of the silence, Louisa heard it loud and clear.

_Tum, tum, tum ... Tum, tum, tum ... Tum, tum, tum ..._

- _We will, we will, rock you ..._ \- Louisa let out, singing softly, not believing what she had just done.

"Oh Dad ..." she sighed in a tone of complaint, but then she laughed "it had to be you, Brian May ..."

Louisa ended up going after her cell phone, letting the emotion carry her, trying to forget the bad things of the past.

When she typed "We" in the Youtube search bar, she rolled his eyes to see that the first suggestion was just "we will rock you." Still smiling, she clicked in the first video and put the phone on the table, just listening to the song.

Just listening, it was like she was back on the set, watching the Queen show that was new for her, even if it was the actors staging it, it had been amazing and unforgettable. Her mind took her farther away as her mother listened to the records in the living room and little Louisa danced, hummed, and clapped her hands to the sounds of her father's band's music.

Louisa ended up singing the whole song, even playing air guitar when Brian's solo appeared. She laughed when the music stopped, shaking her head, completely disbelieving at what had just happened. 

Youtube was suggesting playing "We are the Champions" next, but Louisa restrained herself. She hadn't forgotten her responsibility to finish correcting the essays, and she also had another reason to get out of Youtube.

Using the phone, Louisa pressed the Messages option, sending an SMS to her father.

_"Your songs are contagious"_

_"Is this a good or bad thing? "_ her father's message appeared __

Brian's response was immediate, Louisa knew he must have his cell phone in his hand right now. She didn't even know that her father had been thrilled and curious about that message. She thought a little before answering.

 _"Good, definitely good_  
_Good night I love you"_

_"I love you too my flower"_

Without thinking further about what had happened to her, Louisa returned to her work. She'd let to think about how she'd heard Queen again so suddenly later.


	10. A new meaning

Finishing to correct her students' essays, Louisa had a solitary dinner, heating up what was left of the lunch, not caring about it, since she already was accustomed to this routine.

She lay down on the couch a little, navigating the canals on TV, finding nothing that really interested her. She ended up leaving the TV on, broadcasting any talk show, but she wasn't paying attention there.

Louisa turned her gaze to the ceiling, staring at it, as if looking too much at it made her see the sky above it. Yeah, definitely she was daydreaming.

If there was one thing she took after her parents, it was being extremely analytical about herself. Then, stopping to think, she was rummaging within herself for a reason to want to hear a song of Queen after so long avoiding doing it. The obvious and most likely was that she had been influenced by the scene from the film, by the shooting of it, by the performance of the cast. We Will Rock You was one of her favorite songs, that too was a reason. The biggest problem for her was another. She couldn't simply avoid the connections her brain made, or maybe it was just the voices of her traumas speaking.

_"Is it a good song, so good that it made your father famous, and his fame made you a normal teenager?" Remember when you were followed, by someone trying to figure out where Queen's guitarist lived and you got scared to death? When you had to let out of his hand just to autograph records in the middle of a crowd and you almost got lost? Remember when kids ran after your brother at school, demanding that he tell if his father was really Queen's guitarist and he had to hide in the bathroom? Remember when you went out with your father and your sister and you had to get away from him because the fans were pushing you both? "_

"Oh my God ..." she said in a muffled, frightened, breathless voice, feeling the tears coming down "my God, I ... I ... All right, all right ..."

She got up suddenly and went into the kitchen, drinking a glass of water slowly, trying to calm down. All this had happened a long time ago, she was an adult woman now, hadn't been through such a situation in a long time. If it wasn't so late, she would call her mother, but she didn't want to worry her, it was just silly, silly fear. But even so, all Louisa wanted now was to sleep listening to her mother singing to her. This thought managed to pull a smile from her, and the most ironic of all was that Chrissie would probably sing "39".

Louisa's confused mind had another contradictory thought. There was a way to sleep at the sound of her father's voice singing, and this was only possible because he was justly famous. Slowing down a bit, she searched "39" on Youtube, lay down and snuggled in her bed, placing her cell phone on her bedside table, letting the song chase away the silence of the room. Soon the intro with the acoustic guitar filled her ears and she closed her eyes, focusing on the melody, every instrument, every element that formed the song, in Brian's soft, gentle voice.

 _"All your letter in the sand cannot heal me like you hand, for my life still ahead, pity me"_ It was the only part of the song she sang, feeling lighter.

It was unbelievable how what made her father known was what calmed her down. Inside her heart, she knew she loved her father's songs, loved her uncles and loved Queen, which the band represented. She just didn't like the consequences of their fame, what it did to her family. It was just the bad things that hid something good behind them. It was when Louisa realized, something that the traumas in her growth process prevented her from noticing before, there was a good side and a bad side to her father's musical career, and however interconnected they were, they were two completely different sides to each other.

Uncle John, Uncle Roger, Uncle Freddie and her father had never made music to become famous, of course they had a dream of living by music and fame was a consequence of this, but the main reason for making music was because they loved to create and to compose. Their feelings were imprinted on their songs, which was why Louisa was moved by them. She associated music with her family, her beloved uncles and father. That was the reason, the meaning Queen had for bringing her peace and tranquility.

She took a deep breath as she came to that conclusion. Of course, the traumas were still sad and painful, but she had to be strong. One hour or another, she would have to deal with it, face it. Maybe the movie was the help she needed for it.

"Yeah ..." Louisa said decisively, nodding, "so that's it."

Then she just lay down, trying to get some sleep, deciding to go to her parents' house as soon as she could.

The next day Louisa woke up willing to face the situation. She made a silent prayer of gratitude, had her breakfast, and went to work. She gave back the corrected papers to her students, and she started a new subject, passing the subject summarized on the blackboard. Before she could begin to detail the historical facts that led to the Industrial Revolution, the bell announced the end of the class, and she said goodbye to her students, without losing her usual cheerfulness and gentleness.

Before she left school she immediately called her father.

"Hi, Daddy, how are you?" Louisa greeted, feeling Brian's joy only in his voice.

"Lou, I'm glad you called! How are you?" her father wanted to know.

"I'm fine, but ..." she sighed, drawing the courage to touch the subject "I was thinking about something and ... I needed to talk to you and Mom about it."

"Is it serious, Lou?" Brian stepped into a state of alert.

"No, calm down, it's nothing, really, it's serious, but nothing bad happened to me, Daddy, did you understand what I said?" She grimaced at the embarrassment.

"I think so, Lou, just come home, daughter, we'll be waiting for you to arrive." Brian understood and agreed with her.

"All right, then, see you soon, I love you." Louisa closed the call.

"I love you too, Lou, see you soon." Brian had time to respond and was even more intrigued.

"Who was it Bri?" Chrissie was in the office when her husband's cell phone rang and he left the room for a while to answer.

"Lou, she said she wants to talk to us about something she's thinking about," Brian told her as he tried to figure it all out.

"Lou? Wow, two visits in a short space of time ... " Chrissie realized, impressed.

"There's something else too, honey." He looked at his wife seriously.

"What? " Mrs. May turned all the attention to her husband.

"Louisa sent me a message yesterday, I didn't show you because you had gone to sleep," he justified himself before showing it.

Chrissie read the messages on Brian's cell phone, also noticing the time they had been sent.

"Maybe she wanted to talk about Queen," Louisa's mother deduced, using her knowledge of her daughter.

"Really? You know she- "Brian lowered his eyes, somewhat embarrassed.

"Let's wait Bri, we'd better hear it first before we make any conclusions." Chrissie kissed her husband's cheek, comforting him because of his concern.

Brian thanked her, and they both knew that only their daughter could clarify what was happening to herself.


	11. Hearing Advice

By placing her feet inside her parents' home, the good sense of tranquility and security came to Louisa's heart as always. However, she was also dealing with the sense of seriousness, guilt, even, yet she knew how much that conversation was necessary.

"Hi," she said simply, greeting her father who was waiting for her, with a look and a smile full of love for her, which comforted her of her nervousness.

"Hey, Lou," Brian smiled. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," she assured him, "I just need to ... Well, I guess I just need you and Mom to listen to me."

"We'll do our best," he promised, and together they reached the living room, where Chrissie was, and then she hugged her daughter.

"Your father was very worried about your call and also about yesterday's message," she told Louisa, "how are you? Has something happened, Lou?"

"Actually, it happened," confessed the girl, sitting down with her parents, "you know ... I went to see the movie shooting and it was really cool, it was like seeing you again when I was a kid, and after I went back home, I got "We Will Rock You" stuck in my head and I couldn't resist and I heard the whole song."

The parents were silent, only listening to what their daughter was saying. Louisa understood that she could proceed.

"Do you know how long it was since I listened to a song from Queen that I chose to play?" she said this a little guilty "since college time ... It's not that I hate Queen, you better tham anyone know that I love the band, I just avoided it because ..."

"Because it made you uncomfortable thinking of your father as a celebrity," Brian added, "I don't blame you for it my flower, I've always understood your posture."

"But that's it, Dad, seeing the cast of the movie, listening to your music again, made me realize that I don't need to generalize everything about Queen" Louisa felt calmer now "the songs are still special to me, no matter your fame, no matter the bad things I went through because of it. Queen for me means more family than invasion of privacy, it just took me a while to see this."

"You know I've always seen the boys like that, like a family, brothers?" Chrissie held one of her daughter's hands "they were already a huge success when you were born and was a child, but I saw the beginning of everything, and always, their love for each other and for music always spoke louder, and that's it that Queen is in essence."

"Fame is obsolete, we'd be just another bunch of artists if we weren't together and united," Brian confirmed with a grin.

"Um hum..." Louisa murmured thoughtfully, "and if I ever stop to think, every time I've been through something bad, you've always been there comforting me."

"Yes, because we love you and we understand you." Chrissie touched her daughter's face.

"Thank you, Mom." Louisa gave a huge smile of relief, then hugged her mother unannounced, which surprised Chrissie positively.

"Now I understand your message," Brian commented, laughing a little.

"Yeah, you did," Louisa nodded, also laughing. "There's just one more thing I wanted to tell you."

"Sure, what is it?" Her mother wanted to know.

"When are you going to the movie set again? "Louisa was very direct.

She had to laugh at her parents' surprise reaction, which looked funny.

"There's something I didn't expect," her father declared.

"I know, but you're so persuasive, Daddy." His daughter blinked several times, making fun of him. "But that's not all."

"No? It has to do with what more?" Chrissie was worried.

"Gwilym invited me in person to see them again if I wanted to, and, frankly." She paused, checking her own certainty. "I want to."

"Well, I saw you talking to Gwil, I thought it was a private conversation, so I left you two alone." Chrissie remembered the occasion.

"Yeah, that was cool too, talking to Gwilym, he introduced me to the other actors," Louisa began to tell, "but he scared me a little."

"Scared you? How could he? He's a sweetheart" her mother thought that was absurd.

"You were right, he's like Dad when he's filming and I had a panic attack when he came in to talk to me all dressed us "my daddy from the 80s" Lou ended up laughing at her own reaction even though she was terrified on set.

"Didn't I tell you? I told you and you still doubted! See?" Chrissie altered her tone, correcting her daughter.

"Okay, I'll admit, you were right, okay?" she raised her hands defensively, "but now I've got used to it, I guess next time I won't be so surprised."

"I see you really want to go, Lou, and honestly, that makes me very happy," Brian smiled proudly, "we'll let you know when we're going to the set again."

"I'll wait, then." Louisa sealed the deal, relieved and satisfied.

It took a few more days for the three members of the May family along with the rest of Queen to check out the footage of Bohemian Rhapsody. The role of the band next to the film was to supervise the moments that involved music and performance that were being filmed, which meant that Louisa would see another new show for her, which was one reason why she was there, since all its connection and simple appreciation of Queen's music had returned to her.

They had arrived before the stage was fully ready for filming, the extras had to organize themselves, which is why the boys in the cast had an extra time to talk to Queen before filming. This time for Louisa it was curious to see the younger version of the actors near their older versions.

Gwilym greeted her parents, and then, when he realized Louisa was there, he was surprised, and smiled in astonishment. She was glad to see him again, not unsettled by him looking like Brian.

"You really came again, good, thanks for coming!" the actor said heartily.

"Oh, I had to come again, Gwiym, seriously," Louisa replied, lively and relaxed, "you guys rocked the last time, and rocked me, but in a good way, I'm mean I was very moved, remember?"

"Yeah, I do, I do," Gwil nodded. "I just do not want you to be sad."

"No, I won't, I promise," Louisa assured me, "if I cry, it will be for joy, really."

Gwilym considered it a compliment and blushed involuntarily.

"We'll do our best." It was his turn to promise, wanting to add a "for you" to his sentence, but he restrained himself.

"I'm sure of it," Louisa said back, feeling proud of the efforts of Gwilym and the other boys.

Shortly after, the cast took its place and Louisa smiled as she recognized the song they played. She saw that her parents smiled too, it was just "'39". Jimmy's lullaby, which was sometimes hers too, was one of her mother's favorites and had comforted her last night. While watching the actors with admiration, she considered it as a sign that things would change, but in essence, focusing on good things, they would be good as they once were.


	12. Gwilym's request

Gwilym was concentrating, after all, he was working at that very moment, acting like Brian May, attending to all the trifles that the guitarist showed when he played the acoustic guitar.

Even so, he didn't miss the look of admiration on Louisa's face. Gwilym didn't know why, or exactly how, but since he'd met her, he'd detected a feeling of discomfort in her, something she could hide and disguise very well, since one of her characteristics was her good humor.

That was why when he noticed her shaken the other day, he worried at once, some of her hidden sadness had appeared at that moment and to realize something else, the kind and gentle person that Louisa was, Gwilym decided she didn't deserve to go through that.

That was why he'd worried about her. Seeing Louisa calmly, serene, with a faint smile on her lips as she watched him and his colleagues, made him more relaxed and happy.

Just as on the other day of filming, the director let them have a break for a while as he reviewed what they had already recorded, deciding what to shoot again, and Gwilym already knew what to do with that free time.

"It looks like you enjoyed the performance, I mean, scene," Gwilym told Louisa, correcting himself later. "I said performance as if we were a band, this is happening a lot lately."

"Seriously? But you're very convincing," she replied, sounding like she was joking." Sorry, I sound like I was mocking, I meant it, you guys are great."

"Thank you," he said with a smile.

"But what you said made me curious about something," Louisa continued the conversation.

"What? You can ask me if I can answer." Gwilym was helpful.

"You really know how to play guitar, don't you? I mean, I could tell you were really playing," she said, "and that means you learned to play the solos too, and I imagine Joe, Ben, and Rami had to learn how to play the instruments too, which I mean, that's ... well, you can form a real band."

"Um, maybe." Gwilym laughed at the idea, but not debauchery, but rather because he found it unusual "but we're very new to it, we're going to need years of practice, and to be honest, the four of us are better at acting, we'll never reach Queen's talent."

"But you're great at playing Queen," Louisa assured, amused by that hypothetical conversation and possibility.

"Everyone, please come back," the production assistant announced.

Gwilym scowled, as he didn't want to be interrupted so soon, but he was responsible, knew he had to get back to work.

"This is something that always happens to us ..." Louisa commented, wailing a bit, but laughing.

"I know, but I'll be right back, just like the other day," Gwilym assured her, wondering what to do to resolve this little interruption.

"That's okay." She smiled sympathetically.

"Thank you," he said again, rushing to join his colleagues.

Without leaving her place, Louisa continued to watch. She found it funny that the guys in the cast had the exaggerated look of the '70s, but she still noticed Gwilym concentrating on doing his best. They re-recorded and worked for another 15 minutes on the scene and then Lee returned to where Miss. May was, as he had promised.

It was a short distance as Gwilym walked, but the time he used to do that was enough to realize something, he would like to keep talking to Louisa, and he had to do something to make it possible.

"Hi, I came back." He announced his arrival, and Louisa turned to him at once, and even though Gwilym was still dressed up as Brian, she didn't care.

"Yes, you came back." She nodded and decided to take out a question that had come up. "Are you still going to shoot some more scene? Because you're still like this ..."

"Oh yeah, you're right, we have something else to film today" only then did Gwilym realize that in a hurry to talk to her, he hadn't even gone to change his costume for the other scene "but we're going to a closed studio."

"Oh yes" Louisa soon understood "aren't they performance scenes, right? Which means they won't be open to the band, of course if they want to see, they will see, but my mother told me the band will see only the show scenes, sorry I wandered again, did you want to tell me something?"

As brave as Gwilym had been feeling so far, Louisa's unintentional quit made him slightly nervous, but he moved on.

"So, I was just wondering if you don't want to go out with us after the filming, only if you want, of course," Lee said as gently as he could.

"Well, I ..." Louisa didn't know what to say for a millisecond, the last time someone had called her to go out was Emily and she had given an excuse to not to go, she didn't know what to answer now, until, surrendering to the somewhat pleading way of Gwilym, she decided what to do "okay, and when are you guys going out?"

"When we finish filming, I just don't know what time we're going to finish it," he was embarrassed to find the little doubt in his plan.

"Ah wait a little" Louisa herself was startled by her idea, but she went ahead anyway, she had already given a yes, so she couldn't go back "give me your number, I'll send you a message, you'll save my number and you call me back, letting me know where you are, what do you think?"

"I couldn't think of a more perfect plan," Gwilym commented, laughing, and the compliment made Louisa blush.

She disguised her reaction by picking up her cell phone, at which he quickly dictated his phone number, watching her save his contact.

"So we have a deal, we'll meet later," she nodded, "now go there, or I'll make you late."

"No, you don't make me late," he insisted, "see you later."

"See you, bye!" Louisa said and saw him hurrying out.

It was kind of weird for Louisa to think that she'd just come in to watch the cast, hear a song from Queen, witness that special project for her father, and that's all. Gwilym's invitation certainly took her by surprise, but stopping to think better, there was nothing bad at going out with the boys, in fact, she thought it was an opportunity to meet them as they were, beyond the fact they were the actors who played Queen.

Actually Gwilym was slightly late, the costume assistants were already going after him. He shifted quickly, and as he rejoined Rami, Ben, and Joe, the three exchanged a look of accomplices with each other. Gwilym just shook his head, worrying only about the next scenes they would shoot. The professionalism of the four kept them focused and silent, after all, the day of work wasn't over yet.


	13. At Undertree

It took another three hours to finish the filmings of the day. It wasn't complicated scenes, they were dialogues and Queen recording their musical experiments in the studio, plus some shows singing Killer Queen, but between intervals and decisions of the director, a lot of time passed.

However, as soon as the whole team and cast were released, Gwilym and his friends began to discuss where they were going to have dinner together.

"Any suggestions, Ben?" Rami turned to Hardy.

Since he and Joe were Americans and still didn't know London so well, they always preferred to ask the two locals about where they could go. As Gwilym had already suggested the day before, Rami thought it best to ask Ben.

"There's a nice restaurant in Stratford, it's very quiet and peaceful," Ben said. "We can go there."

"Oh, I know that one!" Gwilym agreed with the idea, already picking up his cell phone to tell Louisa, checking if she had already sent the message to him when he remembered something.

He waited a little longer to tell as they left the set together, walking ahead to wait for a cab the four of them would share.

"Oh, guys, there's one thing I wanted to tell you," Gwilym began, and his friends listened. "I hope they don't mind, but I called Louisa to meet us at the restaurant."

"Ah, cool." Rami was the first to give his simple opinion "no problem, Gwil."

Joe wanted to make jokes and ask the reason for the sudden invitation, but he restrained himself.

"It's going to be nice to have more time to talk to her," Ben mused.

"Yeah, that's why I called her, it looks like we never have time to talk," Gwilym said.

"True," Joe added, just so his friends wouldn't be surprised at his silence.

So while they waited a little longer, Gwilym checked his cell phone. There was a new message and he opened it as he smiled.

UNKNOWN NUMBER  
"Hi, it's Louisa"

It was a simple message, but for Ms. May, it contained the basic information Lee needed to know that the number was hers. Immediately, he saved the new contact and then dialed the number.

Louisa, in her apartment, was spending time watching documentaries on TV, waiting for Gwilym's call but not so anxious. Seeing his name on the screen of her cell phone, she picked it up.

"Hi, Gwilym, how are you?" she said gently, "have you decided where you're going?"

"Hi, I'm alright, yeah, do you know the Undertree in Stratford? We'll get there soon enough, we'll meet you there," he warned her.

"All right then, see you later," she hung up, in a rush to go straight to Undertree.

It wasn't out of anxiety, no, she didn't want to imagine what it would be like at that night, it would only be about knowing a little more about these boys whom her father and uncles had become so fond of. The cab had been faster than the bus Louisa had taken to get there, so the boys waited for her as they decided what to order. Gwilym wasn't very attentive to the menu but to the door, waiting for Louisa to pass by, after all, she had to see where they were sitting and he would beckon to her indicating the way.

Ben, Joe, and Rami decided what to ask when Louisa arrived. As she looked around the tables, her gaze met Gwilym's, and he immediately grinned, which made her think he had a beautiful, unique way of smiling. She frowned at the thought, then focused on greeting the actors.

"Hi, good evening," Louisa said generally.

"Good evening, Louisa, we were waiting for you." Gwilym stood, as would a gentleman of old times when a lady came, he pulled a chair from the side of his for Louisa to sit on.

"Oh, thank you." The gesture surprised her, but soon she recovered.

"We've already ordered, now all you have to do is order for you," Joe instructed. "You too, okay, Gwil?"

"Um huh," Lee said absently, exchanging a look with Louisa before turning his attention to the menu.

They were quick to decide, Louisa ordered a stew of lentils while Gwilym preferred the usual fish and chips.

"So..." Ms. May thought she was in the position to start the conversation "you had a hard day of work today, didn't you?"

"A little, yes, but to be honest, it's been a wonderful job," Rami replied.

"Me and Gwilym were talking about you being a real band, since you know how to play the instruments now, but your thing is actually acting, isn't it?" continued Louisa "and you can see how much you love being actors, that's cool."

"And what about you? What do you do?" Ben pulled the subject.

"I'm a History teacher of the Seventh Grade at Oaks Middle," she said.

"History? Really?" Gwilym was slightly impressed "it makes sense."

"Why does it make sense?" Louisa wanted to know, very interested.

"Ah, because of Doctor Who, there's a lot of History in the show," he deduced, "or was it for another reason?"

"Yeah ... You got a little right Gwilym, I have to admit " she smiled "but it also has to do with my mother, she loves History and Doctor Who."

"Gwilym loves Doctor Who by the way," Rami commented.

"Yes, yes, my sister even said that he also has this in common with my father," Louisa said. "By the way, Gwilym, did you ever watch any episode of the classic series?"

"Some, yeah, when I had time," he answered promptly, "it's interesting to see how the Doctor is introduced for the first time, and I also liked Susan, I never thought of a Doctor's relative traveling with him."

"Wait a minute, guys, we want to understand what you're talking about," Joe said.

"Oh yes, of course," Louisa replied, and Gwilym looked at her so she knew she could explain about the show "Doctor Who is a very old and popular TV show here."

"Yeah, Gwilym told of a little accident he committed at dinner with your family" surprisingly, it was just Rami who had remembered that 'he was very worried."

"Really? No, there's no problem at all" she stared at Gwilym, assuring him "many people don't know about the classic era, some of my students who are whovians didn't know that either."

"Do you have whovian students?" that impressed Gwilym "that's awesome!"

"Yeah, it's really cool," she confirmed.

"But what's the show about anyway? Neither Gwil nor Ben told us," Rami insisted.

"I think since Gwilym mentioned the show and he hasn't told it yet, I think he'd better tell it now," Louisa teased.

"No, you know more than I do about the show," Lee was rather embarrassed.

"But that doesn't make you less fan than I am." Ms. May insisted that he tell.

"Okay." Gwilym smiled, pleased at her consideration. "Well, the story is of an alien of a sort called Time Lords, the Doctor, and he has a TARDIS, which is a spacecraft that travels through time and space, and he lives adventures across the universe, next to a person, who is usually human."

"The fans call this person of companion," Louisa added. "Sorry Gwilym, I interrupted you, go on."

"No, it was nothing, really" he didn't mind "well, and another interesting thing is that the show is over 50 years old, as I discovered thanks to Brian and his family."

"50 years? How did they keep the same protagonist for so long?" Joe was intrigued.

"That's one of the most incredible things in the show," Louisa said, quite excited, "it all started when William Hartnell, who was the Doctor, had health problems and couldn't continue working in the series, and they had to change the actor, Patrick Troughton was the one who came into his place, and in the story of the show, to explain why the Doctor changed, they created this characteristic of the timelords, to regenerate their body when they are about to die, changing their personality, but remaining the same person."

"Wow, how creative!" Rami commented, impressed.

"Isn't it?" Gwilym soon replied cheerfully.

"And if we want to watch, we start in the chronological order, or by the episodes with Tennant?" Ben wanted to clear the question.

"So you knew about it, too?" Joe suspected.

"Of course, I heard of it, but I never saw it," Hardy explained, "Gwilym and Louisa's propaganda made me curious."

"Okay, then, I recommend you watch "Rose", which is the first episode of the new phase" Louisa recommended "since the new series is more accessible than the old one.

"As soon as I have time, I'll watch it." Rami also committed.

"And me too!" Joe confirmed cheerfully.

"That's great, really, it's going to be fun to know what you're going to think about it," Louisa said, hardly believing she was surrounded by adults who were as interested in Doctor Who as she was.

Without her knowing it, Gwilym was thinking the same thing, how glad he had been to share something he loved with his good friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Wiggles91, who is a great whovian, I hope you liked it. Also, she and my friend Lívia suggested me to write Gwilym as a whovian. In the next chapter, we'll have more of Louisa and the boys talking, plus some fluffy moments of her and Gwil. See you on Wednesday.


	14. A picture to proof

From Doctor Who and History, the subject of the talk of Louisa and the boys came to an end in period dramas, Ms. May discovered that the four had played some period role, but she hadn't seen any of them.

"I love period dramas, I've been following Downton Abbey from start to finish" Louisa was fond of it, since it was one of her favorites.

"I got to audition for that show," confessed Gwilym.

"Oh, was it for the role of Matthew?" she tried to guess.

"No, it was for William, I think." For a moment, Gwilym felt a little embarrassed, Louisa had deduced that he had tried to get the lead role, but at the time he didn't have the courage to do so, he thought he was too anonymous to try to get a leading role.

"Oh, yes." Louisa realized that he had been embarrassed and felt bad about it, and she soon tried to get around the situation.

"Allen was on that show!" Ben pointed out.

"Allen, did you mean Allen Leech?" She wanted to be sure.

"Yeah, he's shooting the movie with us, too," Rami said.

"Seriously? I didn't know ..." it was Louisa's turn to feel embarrassed, for showing interest in the film a little late.

"No problem," Gwilym assured her, which made her more comfortable.

"So, I'll see if I can watch your shows," she resumed, "I think I can start with The Pacific."

And as soon as Louisa said that, she noticed Ben and Gwilym slightly irritated.

"What is it? Did I do something wrong?" She was really worried and surprised by their reaction.

"It's just that Rami and Joe keep repeating that they have worked together on that show," Gwilym explained between laughs, which made Louisa relax.

"I understand, but-" She chose her words well, wanting to express her appreciation for the notorious friendship among the four "now you are having the opportunity to work together and be friends."

The boys nodded at her, confirming what Louisa had pointed out. Before she said anything else, her cell phone rang, scaring her a little.

"Oh, sorry, it's mine, mind if I answer?" she asked them.

Louisa smiled at the murmurs of "no, not at all" of them, checking who it was. She was even more surprised to see "EMILY" on the screen.

"Hi, Emily," she said, waiting for her sister to explain why she had called.

"Hi, Lou, how are you?" Emily said "I thought I'd call you to dinner at home, are you busy?"

"Actually, I am," the older woman replied, rather awkward, but partly satisfied, since every time she dined with her sister and her husband Justin, she felt bad for having to be the third wheel "I was invited to dinner today."

And as soon as she said that, Louisa regretted it, Emily would start with the questions, and that's what she did.

"And you accepted?" her sister wasn't believing "I always call you and you don't come, I need to know who did this miracle!"

"Gwilym called me," Lou said, feeling a little embarrassed. "I'm with him and Rami, Ben and Joe."

"I don't believe it! Seriously?" the other was still in shock "you're kidding, aren't you?"

"No, Emily, I'm not," the older woman replied, a bit grumpy and then sighed. "Look, we can go out together another day, I promise, okay? I really need to hang up now, okay? Goodbye."

"Bye." Emily knew better than to insist on the conversation and left her sister alone.

"It's all right?" Gwilym tried, seeing Louisa was annoyed by the call.

"Yes, yes" she turned to him smiling "only my sister who did not believe I was here with you ..."

There was a small moment of embarrassing silence, when Gwil felt bad that Louisa had become uncomfortable, that wasn't his intention when he invited her to dinner.

"If you let me" only Joe Mazzello would have the courage to break the embarrassment "let's take a picture to prove it's true."

For a moment, Gwilym feared that his friend, however well intentioned, had embarrassed Louisa even more.

"Okay, Joe." She smiled, and was surprised at herself to accept his proposal.

"Cool, guys, just get closer." Mazzello took the initiative to take a selfie, settling in front of everyone.

Automatically, Louisa leaned closer to Gwilym, and he stretched an arm around her to accommodate her better. Neither of them realized that they were having a little physical contact, which lasted a few seconds.

"Well, there it is, I'll send it to you." Joe sat back, sending the image to the boys, until he remembered something "yeah, don't mind us posting this picture, right, Louisa?"

"No, of course not," she said, grateful for Joe's consideration, "if you want to tag me, my ID is lou_may."

"Right, we'll follow you, and you'll follow us back." Joe smiled.

Louisa just nodded, amazed how she was feeling part of that group of mere acquaintances who would, by the way, soon become her friends. It was amazing how they were interested in talking to her, not about her father, Queen's guitarist, in spite of the movie and everything, and she could actually get to know them better, how they were like themselves.

Louisa then saw Joe's post, and not wanting to tease Emily too much, she just tagged her sister in the post's comments.

A little later, they decided to go home, which made Gwilym worry about Louisa again.

"How are you going home, Lou?" asked Lee.

"By bus, just as I came," she answered on the automatic.

"It's late to wait for a bus," he argued. "Don't you want to go with me by cab? It's safer."

"I don't want to bother you," she insisted.

"And I don't want to hear a scolding from Dr. May for letting his daughter go home alone." Gwil tried to play.

"Well, he doesn't know I came." Louisa blurted out, knew that nothing would make him give up "but that's okay, I'll go with you, Gwil."

"You see? Look, then he wants us to not say anything ... " Joe complained softly, just for Rami and Ben to hear.

"And after today I agree with you," Ben replied.

"Yes," Rami had to agree.

Then Gwilym and Louisa joined the rest of the group, waiting for cabs to pass by.

"Bye, guys, thank you for everything." She said good-bye to the trio.

"Until tomorrow," Gwilym said good-bye.

It wasn't long before another cab came, and it took Louisa and Gwilym to her building. There was another moment of silence, until she could think of what to say, decided to speak what she was feeling at the moment.

"Gwilym, thank you so much for inviting me, it was really cool, it's been a long time since I've been like this," she said.

"Really? I'm so glad you enjoyed coming with us, for real" he also thanked her "so ... Are you going to visit us again?"

"Yeah, I think so." Louisa was more sure of that now. "Look, I was thinking something else, you know, since you invited me, I wanted to invite you to do something too, if it doesn't get in the way of filming, of course."

"No, we can go out for the weekend." He brightened up at the thought.

"Well, we wouldn't necessarily go out, I mean ..." she laughed at her own embarrassment, "how about watching Doctor Who with me and my parents at their house?"

"Good, yes, yes, very good," Gwilym nodded. "Saturday night?"

"It could be Saturday, yes," Louisa agreed, "so you'll meet us there, okay?"

"All right," said Gwilym, glad to return to the Mays house again.

And so they were arriving in front of Louisa's building.

"That's it then," she sighed, getting ready to say goodbye. "Thank you again, and thank you for taking me here."

"It was my pleasure," he was cordial as ever. "So ... good night."

"Good night Gwilym." Louisa got out of the car, slower than expected, and then nodded at him with a smile, only turning to enter the building as the cab disappeared from her view.

Louisa and Gwilym parted thinking how much they had enjoyed each other's company.


	15. Special Cameos

The next day, Louisa still had a working morning, but as soon as she got up, she couldn't help but think about how fun the night before had been. Since she had graduated, she had lost touch with her close friends from college, whom she used to go out to chat and eat something other than home-cooked food every now and then, and since then, she'd never gone out like this. The only places Louisa went to were her siblings' house, rarely too.

That is why, feeling the urge to meet with the cast boys again, she found her own behavior strange. It wouldn't hurt to go out with them again, she'd seen how nice it had been, and she could talk to Gwilym a little more, and see how much he loved Doctor Who, how she and her family loved. In addition, he had treated her in a special way, being thoughtful and kind, as no other man had treated her before, which moved her very much.

Of course she was always treated with love and affection by her father and brother, and the sons of her uncles, who were always part of her life. But Gwilym barely knew her and had treated her like a true princess, which surprised her. How was she, such a normal and ordinary person, getting so much care and attention? It was a mystery to Louisa and, in response, she decided that Gwilym was only kind to her because he was simply a good man and out of consideration for her father.

After class, she went home and, just as she was about to start making lunch, she was interrupted by a phone call. While answering, she smiled, glad her mother had called.

"Lou, how are you? I imagine you've arrived home" Mrs. May deduced.

"Exactly, Mom, I'm fine," replied her daughter, "what is it?"

"Oh, I wanted to warn you that we will go to the set again later, I thought you would like to join us" Chrissie warned "and if you go with us, why don't you have lunch here? Then we can go, the three of us together."

"Wonderful idea, Mom" Louisa nodded, accepting the invitation "see you soon, then."

"Fine, see you later, Lou," Chrissie said goodbye.

A while later, Louisa was having lunch with her parents, excited to learn more about the day's shootings.

"So you know what they're going to film today?" she asked casually.

"Oh today will be really awesome!" Brian said with the excitement of a child, which made his wife and daughter smile at him "I'll make a cameo in the movie!"

"You what?" Louisa didn't hold back her amazement "Dad, you're a guitarist, not an actor."

"I know, I know," he laughed knowing his daughter was just kidding, "but Graham had this idea of us making a special appearance."

"Like an easter egg?" Lou understood.

"Yeah, I guess that's the term they use," Brian nodded, "and it's not just me that will make an appearance."

"Oh no, did Uncle Freddie want to show up too?" she tried to guess.

"No, no, Freddie made a point of not showing up, or he was going to get too much attention," Chrissie said. "But Roger liked the idea too, and even Emily."

"Wait, will Emily appear in the movie?" Louisa was amazed by the idea "my little sister Emily, who is shy like mom, making a movie?"

"You speak as if they were the main actors in the movie" Mrs. May shook her head "they'll just be extras without saying a word."

"Oh now it makes sense" Louisa reflected.

So they finished their meal and headed to the studios where they would shoot scenes from "Bohemian Rhapsody" that day.

"Wow, how amazing, everything is just the same ..." Chrissie commented as she watched the scenery.

"And here would be ...?" Louisa asked, not being ashamed not to know, since she didn't think it necessary to be an expert in her father's career, and further deduced that they would record something of a Queen phase before she was born.

"BBC Studios, Top of the Pops scenario" Chrissie was glad to respond.

"Okay" Louisa was pleased with the answer, finding it best to find out more about the scene while the crew recorded.

Again, she sat next to her mother, watching the extras get organized before the main cast was ready. She was a little distracted when she noticed someone approaching.

"Chrissie, Lou," she heard her father's voice call, but when she looked up she was startled.

"Dad? Is it really you?" she laughed at his disguised appearance, missing his iconic mane tucked under a wig "and who is that? Uncle Roger?"

"That's right, little Lou," laughed old Taylor. "What did you think of our new look?"

"Very convincing," Louisa nodded. "I only recognized you because I know both of them so well."

"That's true," Brian mused.

"Well, after that, I think we reached the limit of scares with the movie, no?" Chrissie commented, already getting used to the appearance of her husband and her old friend.

"Hi, Lou, did you see? Amazing how they hid Daddy's hair" Emily, who had just arrived from the dressing rooms, came to greet her sister.

"Hi Emily, good to see you too" Louisa smiled "so are you ready for your big scene?"

"What a great scene Lou?" Emily snorted and pushed her sister's shoulder lightly, playing with her "I won't say anything, I will only appear for 3 seconds and that's it.

"Just for fans to find Brian May's daughter in the movie?" Louisa added, also joking.

"To them to see that we're part of their legacy too," Emily corrected, in a convincing expression.

"Okay, all right, I understand and I think it's nice" Louisa remedied.

"Attention, set, everyone in position, the filming starts in 5 minutes, thanks" they heard the production assistant say and so, everyone took their places.

In her audience position with her mother, Louisa saw Ben, Joe, Rami and Gwilym getting ready. There was no time for Gwil to say a quick hello to her, but he was content to wave at her from afar, in which Louisa waved back, muttering a hello, which Gwilym understood, as much as he couldn't hear her from the distance they were from each other.

"Action!" commanded Dexter Fletcher and soon everyone got into character.

For Louisa, it was like watching the "Killer Queen" video live. She had already heard that song, but it wasn't one of her favorites, however much she thought the band's harmonies were perfect in that song. They re-recorded again, and only later, the cast was released.

Surprisingly, Louisa was already standing, waiting for Gwilym to come talk to her, and indeed Lee was already coming towards her.

"Hi Gwilym," she said first. "I came again."

"Yes, thank you," he remembered to say, "and how are you?"

"I'm fine, really fine," she nodded.

"I wanted to tell you that I saw the First Doctor's regeneration," he said, excited as a legitimate Whovian. "I cried like a child."

"Wow, have you got there already? How fast" she was impressed "it's always like this when Doctor regenerates, I always cry too."

"Hi, Lou, hi, Gwil" Brian approached - I couldn't help but hear you talking about Doctor Who, which I love by the way, but daughter, lend me Gwilym a little? I'm taking pictures now, we're just missing him."

"Of course, Dad," she understood the situation, noting that Brian was still featured, "or Dad?" She turned to Gwilym, joking a little, which made the actor laugh softly.

"Okay, that was a little creepy," said Lee.

"Sorry" Louisa gave a conciliatory smile "go Gwil, we'll talk later."

"Okay," he agreed and followed Brian, joining the rest of the cast while the guitarist took pictures of everything and everyone.

Louisa just smiled, her father's excitement making her happy. Her sister soon came to her, bringing someone who scared her again. For the incredible resemblance to her mother, the woman next to Emily could only be the actress who was playing Chrissie.

"Hi, you must be Louisa," said the actress. "Emily was telling me you were here, and I wanted to meet you, I hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all." Louisa recovered from the shock, already used to that initial shock of seeing other people like her loved ones "that's right, I'm Louisa."

"Leila, Leila Crerar, nice to meet you" Leila said and shook hands "I wanted to say that your mother is a wonderful person and hope you enjoy my interpretation of her."

"Oh yes, of course," Louisa agreed. "Thank you for considering my mother so much."

"You're welcome" Leila smiled "well, I just wanted to say hi really fast, I still have some appointments for later. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise Leila" Louisa answered and saw the actress leave.

When she stayed with Emily, she immediately asked the question of one million dollars.

"You didn't got scare at all when you saw her? She's just like Mom!" Louisa emphasized.

"Yeah, I know, it's very strange at first, but then she started talking to me and convinced me she wasn't Mom." Emily shrugged, settling the issue.

The two talked a little longer, which gave Louisa the opportunity to tell her sister how the night with the cast boys had been like, in which Emily listened intently, glad to see her sister genuinely cheerful, as she hadn't been for a long time. .


	16. The Chinese Dinner

Due to his enthusiasm, Brian was still taking some more pictures, which made his wife and daughter Louisa wait for him to finish his exploration of the set. Meanwhile, part of the crew was already storing equipment and everything.

"Well, as much as Dad still doesn't want to go home that much now, I've already been released," Emily warned her mother and sister, jokingly.

"Are you going home already, Em?" Chrissie deduced. "Okay then, we'll talk later, daughter."

"Okay then, bye mom, bye Lou," Emily said goodbye and left.

She even considered calling Louisa out with again, but thinking of all that her sister had said about hanging out with the cast boys, Emily knew that in a sudden but good way, Louisa might want to go out with them again.

Who also thought that was Gwilym. Finishing to get ready to leave, he remembered how Miss. May had said she would probably be back on set, and to his delight, here she was again. Not wanting to be impolite, but unable to fail to notice Louisa's mood, he saw she was much better, even happier than the other day, if that were possible. The only explanation for this, as Gwilym had imagined, was because going out every once in a while was good, especially when you met people who liked the same thing as you.

"Guys, I was thinking about Chinese food for dinner today, what do you think?" Rami suggested when he, the boys and Lucy were gathered in the dressing room "do you want to come with us, Lucy?"

It had been a while since Rami had wanted to invite her out to go with them, and he took advantage of the small moment of courage.

"Oh, today I can't, but thank you" she replied sweetly "we scheduled for another day, how about? But I hope you have a great time. Well, I'm going, bye to you."

"Bye, Lucy!" they answered and Joe rolled his eyes out of her sight.

He was already getting tired of witnessing his co-workers with their not-so-secret crushes.

"What, Joe, don't like Chinese food?" Ben tried.

" I like it, Benjamin, I truly like it," Joseph disguised.

"Well, since you've decided what we're going to eat today, I'll see if Lou wants to come with us," Gwilym warned and was so excited he didn't even bother to wait for an answer from them.

"There he goes again," said Rami.

"Yeah, and you took an important step today, well, that was the first step, and it counts a lot, because it's the beginning of everything." Joe used all his dramatic ability to overdo it.

"What do you mean by that?" Rami already had a sense of what this was all about, but he frowned in a way that made Joe think better of his answer.

"Nothing, by the way you already know what it is" Mazzello ended up getting angry.

Back on set, Louisa was ready to leave with her parents when Gwilym called her.

"Hey, Lou, hi, are you leaving yet?" He was a little saddened by the thought.

"Well, we were already leaving, Gwil," Brian said, which made the actor realize that Dr. and Mrs. May were there too.

"Oh yes." Gwilym smiled at Brian and Chrissie, as if apologizing for not having noticed them before. "Of course, don't you want to come with us again, Louisa?"

"Just like the other day?" She wanted to be sure, realizing the size of his expectation for her answer "yes, fine, I'll go with you."

"Other day? What do you mean other day?" Chrissie asked, just curious but sounding like the mother of a teenage daughter again.

"I went out with the boys the other day, Mom," Louisa replied, feeling a little embarrassed.

"That's cool, that's great, great" Brian came to his daughter's rescue "well, so you go to your appointments and we go to ours, bye Lou, see ya Gwilym."

"Bye," the actor replied, while Louisa preferred to be silent.

"Oh, sorry for my mom, she's not always like that" she turned to him, still laughing nervously.

"No, no problem, she's your mother, it's normal to worry, my mom is like that too," Gwilym shrugged. "Just because she'll always see me as her little youngest son."

"You have siblings? Wow, that's interesting" Louisa opined about the new information "well, I'm a middle daughter, but I know what it's like to be the youngest, so Jimmy was always protective of me and me with Emily afterwards."

"Well, about overprotection, I understand," Gwilym joked.

"Gwil, Lou, are you ready to go?" Ben called for them, Joe and Rami were already by his side "you are going with us, right, Louisa?"

"I will," she nodded with a smile, "and how are we going?"

"Gwil will give us a lift today," Joe warned. "Then he's going to be our driver."

"Okay" Louisa replied and went with the four to where Gwilym had parked his car.

Between Rami, Joe and Ben, it was already decided that they would give up the passenger seat to Louisa, which made her think it was strange the rush of the three to sit in the back seat. She shrugged, opening the car door and taking the seat that was left for her. Gwilym couldn't deny that having her by his side made him happy.

The five of them went down on the "Haijing" and Louisa grimaced thoughtfully as she realized where she was.

"Are you all right?" Gwilym noticed and asked.

"Yes, yes, it's just that ..." She looked down, ashamed to confess "I never ate Chinese food."

"If you want, we can go somewhere else," he volunteered, making sure the evening was pleasant for Louisa.

"No, don't worry, it's okay" she assured him "I can try it!"

"Okay," was his answer, of pure relief.

The group chose a table together and, shortly after sitting down, so that Joe, Louisa and Gwilym were on one side and Ben and Rami on the other, a waitress came to serve them.

"Hello, good evening, welcome to "Haijing", I'm Gina, can I take your names to have a track of orders?" she said, "oh here's the menu."

As the girl handed them the menu, Joe had become a little glazed when she approached, and just smiled when she spoke to them. Louisa and the boys had already understood everything.

"Oh sure" Mazzello started up again "write it down, Ben, Rami, Gwilym, Louisa and Joe, Joe is me by the way."

"Right" the waitress ended up finding him cute "you're not from here, are you, Joe? By the accent and the Yankees cap ..."

It was then that Gwilym saw an opportunity arise, taking advantage of being on his side.

"Oh, excuse us for my friend, miss," Lee said, in his best gentleman's tone, "he's wearing a cap because he has a perm!"

And in that, Gwil took off Joe's cap, showing his John Deacon hair, which made his friend scowl and the waitress laugh.

"I'll be right back." She smiled apologetically and left, going to meet other customers who had just arrived.

"I hate you, Gwilym Lee!" Joe said annoyed.

"You don't hate me at all, sorry, I couldn't miss the opportunity." Gwil shrugged innocently.

"But again, man? I was trying to make a move here.” Mazzello emphasized his words.

"Sorry," Gwilym said once more.

"You know, Joe, maybe Gina wouldn't have paid much attention to you if Gwilym didn't do this joke," Rami mused.

"That's if we're positive, Rami." Ben couldn't help but laugh.

"You guys are terrible at this, but you are cute at least," Louisa finally commented, holding back her laughter. "Gwilym, honestly, I didn't expect that from you, I mean, you've joked with Joe before?"

"Whenever he has the opportunity," Joe said accusingly, "just because I did a perm, It's not my fault Mr. Deacon had a perm."

"I've always found it odd that Uncle John changed his hairstyle from year to year, if it's any consolation." Louisa tried to reconcile them, and they ended up paying attention to what to choose to eat.

The same waitress, Gina, returned, picking up the orders. Joe was quiet, but kept admiring her.

"So it's 5 and 6 for Ben and Rami" she summed it up "8 for our perm friend and 3 and 7 for Louisa and Gwilym, right?"

"That's right," Lee confirmed by all.

"By the way, are you Welsh?" Ginny asked Gwilym directly.

"Yes, I am," he replied, rather bland and tired.

Gina nodded and left, which made Gwilym feel free to express his frustration.

"Now she avenged me!" Joe didn't miss the opportunity.

Despite the joke, Louisa realized that Gwilym was really annoyed.

"Hey" she called him softly, worried, since she met him, he had never been that way "is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's just ..." he sighed "every time people see my name, they wonder and have to ask if I'm Welsh, just pisses me off a little."

"I know, I understand" Louisa knew that feeling well, when asked if she really was Brian May's daughter, even if they didn't do it badly.

Gwilym looked back at her, understanding that they were both in a similar situation, he just didn't know the details of her case.

To relieve their emotions and hunger, Gina soon brought their orders and Louisa was a little apprehensive as she saw no cutlery other than chopsticks. She thought it couldn't be that hard to eat with chopsticks.

As soon as she was about to eat, she saw that her fingers didn't quite know how to hold it. She tried to look at how the boys were doing, Rami and Ben were having some difficulty, but Joe and Gwilym looked like professionals.

"I don't think it's that easy for me ..." Louisa laughed softly at her own frustration.

"May I help you?" Gwilym asked, ready for the rescue, what Louisa found cute.

"Sure," she replied with a smile.

She was practically dropping her chopsticks when Gwilym's hand, larger than hers but delicate and careful, prevented her from doing so. His hand covered Louisa's and his fingers guided hers to the correct position. Gwilym's gesture had struck her a little, since she had grown up, she got used to doing things on her own, so the way Gwilym wrapped her hand and adjusted her fingers made Louisa feel butterflies in her stomach.

"Try it now," Gwilym asked, and she caught some noodles, still dealing with the sensation his touch caused.

"I did it, thank you," Louisa said after she had finished chewing on the first portion of her food.

"You're welcome." Lee smiled in that unique way again and Miss. May felt not only her cheeks flush, but even her ears.

With a sigh, Louisa decided to focus on dinner, while Joe, Rami and Ben talked to each other, and there was a proud look from Gwilym above her.


	17. Coincidences

Louisa was able to enjoy dinner much better after Gwilym's help. As much as she was much more focused on just eating the meal, which she had found she had enjoyed very much, the way he had helped her still made her feel embarrassed and at the same time flattered. That feeling of being so importantly seen by him, just being Louisa, not Queen's guitarist's daughter, made her feel grateful and content.

So when everyone was done, Lee willingly took everyone back home with Miss. May sitting next to him again. She, in turn, got involved with the back seat trio's conversation, making her comments and even laughing a little, mostly because of Joe. Because she was so involved in the conversation, she didn't realize she had stayed last to be delivered to her final destination.

Gwilym had done it on purpose, he knew that if he left Louisa first at home, he would have to hear more jokes from his friends, and honestly, he was tired of it. He had already made it clear that he and she were just friends, who had created an affinity thanks to having Brian May in common in their lives, and Lee was enjoying her friendship. Louisa was so smart, talking about interesting facts, funny just in right way, without offending anyone, accepting the boys' jokes, interested in what they said. And to top it off, that sense of self-protection that Gwilym felt in her when they first met was slowly crumbling.

They had just left Ben at home when silence washed over the car, and sort of on automatic, Gwilym turned on the radio. It was pretty ironic that BBC One was playing "I Want to Break Free" right now. The coincidence made him and Louisa smile simultaneously.

She was still a little shaken, getting used to Queen present in her life as a good thing again, which was why she feared a little what Gwilym would say next. He had laughed at remembering one of the lines of the movie, Brian criticizing BBC, and when he and his castmates recorded the movie version of the song's clip.

"That was pretty ... fateful." He chose the word precisely, and laughed shortly thereafter.

"It is" answered Louisa softly "a coincidence ..."

Being very observant, Gwilym noticed a little discomfort in her, the discomfort that seemed to melt away, receded a little at that moment.

"What kind of music do you like to listen to?" He decided to ask, without being direct or inconvinient asking which Queen songs she liked.

"Oh well, maybe you'll laugh at me" she has braced herself for the worst "but I like Owl City, Walk the Moon, Panic at the Disco ..."

"Very modern for a history teacher," Gwilym commented with a smile.

"Well, that's precisely why I like these bands, one more ironic thing of the night" Louisa pointed out "my students recommended me and I liked it, but since I must like something old, I don't remember telling you that I love my father's songs, some that even the general public don't know about."

"Really? Tell me one" Gwil was interested and curious.

"Oh, '39, of course" Louisa said right away "Long Away, Good Company, Leaving Home ain't Easy, Sail Away Sweet Sister, Sleeping on the Sidewalk, ah, Someday One Day, even Father to Son. These last two are very old, I only know them because my mother sang them a lot for us."

"They're from Queen II," Gwilym added promptly. "I've heard some of those, and they're great, but Mrs. May sings?"

"Just to make her children sleep" confessed Louisa, laughing softly "she is very in tune, but dies of shame, she prefers to leave it to my father and uncles."

"I understand her," Lee nodded. "You know, from the songs you quoted, there are some I've heard before, because of my brother."

"Oh, your brother was a Queen fan," she stated without fear of making a mistake. "That's interesting, that's how you found out about them?"

"Yeah, it was another coincidence," Gwilym agreed, and was amazed at how so many things were looking ironic that night.

"He must have freaked out when you said you were going to play Brian May," she emphasized her father's name.

"Well, I told him, but I didn't promise him anything," Gwilym confessed, "I didn't want to bother Dr. May."

"Oh no, it doesn't bother him at all, on the one hand he likes it all" Louisa interrupted herself, avoiding more personal and delicate matters.

Luckily for her, they had just arrived at her building, and again, she wanted to stay there talking a little more, to bring up something other than Queen's fame.

"Yeah, Gwil, thanks for everything, it was really cool today, mainly because I found out I love Chinese food, so thanks for that" she said goodbye.

"You're welcome, and thanks for your company," he grinned. "Maybe we can go to the same restaurant again, since you liked it."

"Me, you, and the boys, after one more shooting day?" she wanted to make it clear "it seems to have become a tradition of ours, that is, a tradition of yours that I am now part of."

"And it's very good that you're a part of it," Gwilym was keen to say, "really, I say from my heart we like your company very much."

"I know, I can feel it" she confessed, feeling her cheeks flush "so I think I'll see you on Saturday, right, at my parents' house?"

"Yes, yes, I didn't forget about our marathon," Gwilym replied, "so bye, Lou, good night."

"Good night Gwil, drive carefully," she advised with a smile.

"I'm on it." Gwilym raised her eyebrows in charm, which made her laugh with a shake of her head.

This time Louisa hurried in, she still had something very important to do. Already at home and comfortable in her bed, she sent a message to her father:

_"Hi dad, still up?"_

Brian quickly turned his attention to the phone screen, quickly typing an answer for his daughter.

_"Well, you got me, but how can I help you  my flower?"_

Louisa smiled as she read the usual nickname.

_"I had an idea to call Gwilym to watch Doctor Who with us on Saturday, at your house, is that okay with you and Mom?"_

The news made her father rejoice.

_"Yeah, no problem, it'll be great, we can let Gwil pick which season we will watch, what do you think?"_

And so the daughter was happy with the idea of the father.

_"Perfect, see you on Saturday so wait for me for dinner! :D Good night, I love you so much Daddy!"_

Brian noticed all of Louisa's excitement in the message.

_"Good night Lou, I love you so much too!"_

So they ended the conversation, content with Whovians plans for Saturday.

 


	18. The secret from the daleks

Louisa preferred to arrive at her parents' house before dinner, leaving home late Saturday afternoon. She was curious to know what Gwilym would choose for them to watch, within 10 seasons of Doctor Who he knew. Not 10, it was more than 10 now, since he had watched some of the classic era.

That's when Louisa was intrigued by something else, she hadn't asked Gwilym which was his favorite Doctor or which episodes he liked best. Tonight would come in handy for her to find out all this.

On the other hand, Gwilym wasn't nervous or afraid to go to the Mays' house again, on the contrary. Brian and his family had made him so comfortable and welcomed him so well that he was more eager to get there than anything else.

Louisa, upon arriving at her parents' house, noticed the open door and was already entering. Even not meeting her parents right away, she deduced where they might be. There was a locker in the attic where the Mays used to store the VHS, DVDs, Blu-Rays of their favorite movies, and in the midst of this collection were Doctor Who seasons, and even older stuff like episodes that Brian had recorded on VHS tapes.

Louisa then climbed the stairs slowly, careful not to frighten them, and when she was almost at the door, she found her father and mother exactly where she was waiting.

"Hi guys," their daughter announced, drawing a smile from her parents.

"Lou! I didn't think you would come so soon,” Chrissie said, surprised. “We were gathering Doctor Who's seasons."

"Yeah, I see, but do you mind if I give you a hint?" Louisa suggested.

"No, what are you thinking?" Brian was curious.

"Since Gwilym watched only the new era and a few seasons of the classical era, he'll probably choose between those options, not everything we have about Doctor Who," thei daughter explained, laughing a little at the end.

"Well, you know your dad, he can be a little over the top when he wants to and I think that was the case," Chrissie said jokingly.

"No, my love, I just wish Gwil could pick something he doesn't know yet to watch," Brian said, somewhat annoyed by his wife's criticism. "I want him to have a lot of options to choose."

"Okay, I know," Chrissie replied apologetically. "I love you for being so devoted and thorough."

"And I love you for understanding my exaggeration." Brian leaned in without hesitation, his wife soon approaching to kiss him.

"Oh no ..." Louisa moaned a little, it was beautiful to see her parents always so close, but sometimes it bothered her because she was single.

Luckily for her, the doorbell rang and she figured it could only be Gwilym. She ran to answer and to escape from her parents' sappy way. Meanwhile, Brian and Chrissie organized to take everything they could to the living room downstairs.

Louisa opened the door immediately and gave a smile of relief when she saw Gwilym. He focused on her face for a moment, his heart pounding, glad to know they would spend more time together.

"Hi, it's good you arrived right now" she was sincere "my father and my mother are very excited to decide what we will watch."

"What do you mean exactly?" He was a little confused.

"Oh you'll see what I'm talking about" she laughed, another action of hers that made Gwil happy "and how are you?"

"Well, I'm fine, excited for the marathon" he nodded, walking with Louisa to the room.

"Hi, Gwilym, good evening," said Mrs. May "welcome."

"Thank you, Mrs. May" Lee thanked her with a smile.

"Gwil, how are you?" Brian gave him a quick hug.

"Fine, Brian," he answered, then noticed the coffee table covered with VHS and DVDS tapes.

"Is that what you were talking about?" Gwilym asked Louisa discreetly.

"Yeah, exactly," she nodded and laughed again. "Well, since you're our guest, we want you to choose what we're going to watch."

"Really? Wow, I don't even know what to say" Gwilym felt a little embarrassed by such consideration "well, I ... You know, I like Matt Smith a lot, but it would be nice to review season nine, it was one of the best for me."

"You mean the one the Doctor come in playing the guitar?" Brian had to mention "I loved your choice!"

Taking advantage of everyone's excitement, Gwilym recorded the moment by taking a quick selfie with his hosts, so Brian soon played play in season nine, shortly after they settled into the living room couches. He and Chrissie took the older seat, while Gwilym and Louisa sat on the other with considerable distance between them.

Of course everyone, especially Brian, was thrilled to see the Doctor playing guitar on top of a battle tank, and then the episode unfolded, with Missy and her wiles, poor Clara trying to keep up with her. Everything was fine and everyone was focused when the daleks appeared and Louisa felt a little discomfort.

Her fear of the daleks had diminished as she grew older, but still, when she saw them, she remembered her scares from when she was a child. Discreetly she lowered her head and closed her eyes, trying not to pay much attention when they appeared. Gwilym, who was close to her and occasionally watching her sideways, soon worried about her discomfort.

"Lou, is everything ok?" he asked softly.

And there was his chivalry again, which made Louisa embarrassed but grateful.

"Yeah, I'm fine, yes" she soon disguised "it's nothing really."

Chrissie and Brian already knew what her reaction was about, and thought it best not to say anything. Gwilym's gaze on Louisa was one of pure compassion, as if he didn't want to leave her alone and helpless until he found a way to help her.

"I'm afraid of the daleks," she confessed. "I know it's stupid, but I am, that's all."

Anyone else would laugh, find it ridiculous to be afraid of a giant salt shaker, but that wasn't Gwilym's reaction. He himself was surprised not to laugh, even in a friendly way; on the contrary, his wish to comfort her increased significantly, and for a moment he even wanted to hug her, but held it back.

"I'm so sorry." He touched her nearest hand with his fingertips. "I didn't know it, we can skip this episode."

"No, no, it's fine," she sighed, relieved but also reacting to his touch. "I can watch it all the way, really, thanks."

"Okay then." Gwilym gave her one more kind look and they returned to watch the show.

Not even the Fisher King scared Louisa so much, so she could relax watching the rest of the season, Ashildr, the Zygons invasion with the Doctor's speech that thrilled everyone again, Clara's sacrifice, the Doctor's epic journey to save his friend, and then Clara and Me heading towards the universe in their TARDIS.

It was late when they finished, Chrissie had already slept with her head resting on her husband's lap when Louisa and Gwilym said goodbye to Brian.

"I know you want to give me a lift," she said before they reached the street, "and I'll accept it."

"You read my mind, Miss. May" Gwilym blushed a little, but smiled.

They took their seats in the car and Gwilym started to drive. Still a little annoyed, Louisa decided it was best to clarify what had embarrassed her.

"So you know this daleks thing?" she started and Gwilym looked at her, showing that he was paying attention "I wasn't afraid of them after I was grown up, I was a child, very small, and the way they scared me, you know? That big robot sliding on the floor, with that sinister voice ..."

"It's pretty scary for a kid, I understand you" he replied "I also find them intimidating, that's why they are one of the best villains in the shows."

"I know, despite the fear, I agree" Louisa smiled "and the whole concept of them being bred for war is very interesting."

They talked some more about season nine and reached their final destination.

"Yeah ..." Louisa sighed "I hope you enjoyed everything Gwil, and thank you very much for understanding me, in fact, thank you for always being so nice to me, sometimes I don't even know how to repay you for that."

"Oh no, you don't need to worry about that, I'm not that nice, my brother and Joe would disagree" Gwil joked, but was thrilled inside, to hear every compliment from Louisa to him "you know, Lou, just your company is enough to me."

"Oh then it's easy to thank you" she gave him a sincere smile "I also like your company. Bye, Gwil, see you next time!"

"Till next time!" He nodded, but didn't start the car.

Gwilym watched her enter until he no longer saw her. He sighed before starting to drive, and for better or worse, he had just realized that Joe was right.


	19. Hiding Feelings

Gwilym's mind still felt confused and rambling when he arrived at his apartment. He had just left Louisa at home, and yet, it was precisely she who took all of his thoughts.

It had been a few months since they had approached, become friends, talked a little about the movie, about Doctor Who, about History, about their families, and in the middle of it all, Gwilym got to know her better, seeing who she was behind of her self-protection, although he felt that Louisa still had many feelings kept to herself. However, he didn't press her, made her feel comfortable, did his best to make her feel fine, and at first he did it so politely, knowing that everyone deserved respect.

But his respect became something else, even after saying goodbye to her, Gwilym's urge to hug her and comfort her wasn't gone, on the contrary, what he wanted was always to take care of her, to make sure Louisa was loved, just as she was, with each of her manners that made her unique, special, and amazing.

And here was everything Gwilym was feeling for her, there was no lying, and he wouldn't be foolish to deny it to himself, he had genuinely fallen in love with Queen's guitarist's daughter, the man who he was playing in movie about the band, that was what shocked Gwilym's prospects for the future, and stopped any action he tried to make about it.

His rational part emphasized, as he had realized a while ago, it was weird that just he liked Brian May's daughter. Anyone who looked outside would understand and judge that he had taken advantage of Brian's generosity, which had welcomed him with open arms, introduced his family to him, welcome him into his home, just so that Gwilym would conquer his daughter's heart and take advantage of being Queen's guitarist's son-in-law without really loving Louisa.

It was clear that Gwilym was well aware that it was none of that, his feelings were extremely pure and sincere, but he didn't want to disturb the Mays let alone Louisa. The hypothetical and cruel thought people might have about their relationship was so strong that it even caused some tears from Gwilym.

As he thought about all this and wiped his eyes, he tried to think of a solution to deal with it all. It was early Sunday morning when Gwil finally decided to sleep, letting her thoughts rest and rearrange as well.

On Sunday, everyone usually sleeps until late, but Louisa and Gwilym were an exception to that. In fact, the reason he'd gotten up early had been to think about what he would do about his feelings for Louisa. He tried to relax that day, to calm down, to keep his discovery to himself, which Joe already knew, but anyway, he wouldn't bother his friends with it, at least not yet. Gwilym also deduced that his fellow workers would make more jokes than help him at first. Still, he didn't hold back, waited for the morning to pass, desperately wanting to talk to Louisa again, but unwilling to disturb her, just sent a "Good morning."

It took too long in his opinion for her to respond, but finally something came up.

_"Good morning, Gwil_   
_How are you?'_

And that second question made him uneasy again. He scratched his head, searching for a coherent way to respond without revealing himself.

 _"I'm fine, I just wanted to wish you a good Sunday"_ his response was very discreet.

 _"Ah! Thank you :D_  
 _Good Sunday to you too"_ Louisa replied.

 _"Thank you"_   was all Gwilym had to say back, and that was the way the conversation ended.

It was no use trying to make a conversation, Gwilym was afraid she was busy or even he blurted out what he feared most. He used the rest of the day to balance his emotions.

On Monday, the cast would film dialogue scenes, that meant they wouldn't have the presence of Queen, and consequently, Louisa wouldn't come. That was good because it would give Gwilym more time to deal with his dilemma, but he still had the boys to face. That was how he decided not to tell anyone and simply to pretend that nothing had happened.

That's how Gwilym was able to focus and shoot the first scene of the day, Hot Space's press conference, which itself already contained a tension he didn't need to interpret, it was what he was feeling. After this scene, particularly for Gwilym, he would have one more scene to shoot, one in which he would make a small appearance, but he should be aware of his cue to come in at the right time.

"How is he, Jim?" said Leila on the scene, in character, playing Chrissie.

"I sent him straight home, I hope he does go home," answered Tom Hollander as Jim Beach.

"Oh, that's exactly what they were talking about" Leila sketched concern "but as much as Freddie goes wrong, no one deserves to be slaughtered the way he was."

"No, not really," Tom as Jim agreed with regret, "but you know that when you have a life like theirs, it's inevitable, it's a consequence of fame."

"I know, the worst is when it all affects them and ..." Leila took another worried pause "when Freddie won't let us help."

Tom made a worried expression, wondering how to answer that question, following the script, that was where Gwilym as Brian should come up.

"Cut!" shouted Dexter the director. "Gwilym, you could come in now."

Lee then stepped out of his reverie, embarrassed to waste time on the scene.

"Sorry, Dexter, I'm really sorry, guys," he asked everyone, very sorry.

"That's okay." Leila gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Are we going to start over or not?" Tom asked, but he wasn't mad at Gwilym.

"Oh no, you don't have to," Dexter warned, after analyzing the scene. "We just need to film the footage with Gwilym and we're done, let's get from Tom's reaction on."

The three actors nodded and Dexter repositioned himself to start shooting.

"Silence on set, action!" he announced.

Tom and Leila waited a while, and then Gwilym stepped in.

"Hi, I was looking for you" he said as Brian directly to Leila "let's go home?"

"Yes, Bri," she said, already holding a hand from Gwilym he offered her as they both smiled at Tom, in farewell, and again he made a worried face.

"Cut!" said Fletcher again, "I think it's good, but wait a minute."

Tom took the moment to drink water, while Leila, because she was just playing Brian's wife in the movie, she had created a connection with Gwilym, which let her know that he wasn't well.

"Is everything okay with you?" she asked quietly. "I'm sorry if I'm being invasive, but if there's anything I can do to help ..."

"Oh ..." Gwilym replied, laughing embarrassed "I kind of messed up everyone for that, I'm sorry, it's just ... I found out something, Leila, and as much as I wanted to deny or avoid this, it happened, it's something out of my control and I think…” He looked away, an aching truth hitting his chest.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Leila understood.

"No, that's fine," he took a breath, "I just think ... I'm falling in love for someone I shouldn't fall in love, at least it doesn't seem right to me because of the position we are in and the whole situation that surrounds us, so I am so confused."

"Oh, it's complicated," she agreed and almost correctly deducing who the person Gwilym talked about was, "but look, Gwilym, we can't control our feelings, don't feel guilty about something that didn't happen on purpose."

"Yes, yes, that's true" he eventually agreed, giving her a sad smile "anyway, thanks for understanding me, Leila, I didn't want to bother you."

"No, don't worry," she offered him a hug that Gwilym eventually accepted. "It's a pleasure to help a good friend."

Leila's kindness made Gwil smile, and her words comforted him, giving him more wisdom in deciding what to do next.


	20. Next Steps

Despite accepting his feelings for Louisa, it didn't make it easier for Gwilym to handle it. Of course, at first he was confused and didn't know exactly what to do, given all the circumstances surrounding them, as he didn't want to appear to be an impolite self-interested man, so he had decided to remain friends with Miss. May, at least for now. But hiding a strong feeling was something that, though careful not to show, was perceived by those who knew him very well, or in this case, who had been living with Gwilym for a long time.

In recent days, the Bohemian Rhapsody cast was filming more dialogue scenes than great performances, so Louisa stopped visiting them often for that small reason. Queen members had agreed that it made no sense for them to give much thought to the interpretation of the film, as they didn't understand much of it, only in the parts where music was involved, and for Louisa, it was inconvenient to go there without it being along with her father. As much as the cast boys understood Louisa's absence, including Gwilym, who was always so understanding of her, and even more so now, he still missed her there.

As soon as the filming of the day was over, when Joe, Ben, and Rami were preparing to leave, they realized that Gwil was not very well, sad and thoughtful, a lost look fixed God knows where.

"Gwilym ..." It was Ben who tried to call him - "mate, did something happen?"

"No, no, Ben, I mean, sort of, but I'm fine," Lee managed to respond, noting Joe and Rami's concern as well.

"If you need something, just tell us" Rami assured, but soon hurried to leave.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Gwilym managed to laugh.

"Okay, I'll talk at once before you insist more" Rami rolled his eyes "I called Lucy for a coffee, and she accepted, I'm going to meet her now."

"Oh great!" Ben smiled at him.

"Yes! Yes!" Joe celebrated "I hope everything goes well and you have a great time."

"Guys, it's just a coffee, okay?" Rami made a point of emphasizing "see you tomorrow."

"Okay, bye Rami," Gwilym greeted him, while Ben and Joe left him alone.

"I think I'm going too, apparently you don't want to go out today, do you?" Ben deduced from Gwil's spirits.

"Well, if you invite me, I can even go." Lee shrugged.

"What do you think about the Chinese restaurant again?" Ben suggested, and as much as Gwilym remembered how much Louisa liked the place and the food, the memory made him even more confused.

"I will go, will you go, Gwil?" Joe wasn't really believing that.

"I'll go," Lee decided. "I'll go too."

"Will you, really?" challenged Joseph "I'll just let you go with us if you tell what's going on, now."

"This is blackmail, Mazzello!" Gwilym pointed a finger at him accusingly.

"But seriously, Gwil, you're not fine," Ben eventually agreed and helped with the insistence.

"Okay, you won!" Gwilym lost his temper, rubbing a hand over his face because of nervousness, he sighed and looked down "you were right Joe."

"Is this about who I think it is?" Joseph wanted to be sure, but was gentle to sympathize with his friend's downcast state.

"I like her, I like Louisa very much, the problem is that ..." Gwilym interrupted himself, saddened by the circumstances "remember when I said it would be weird we both together, because after all I'm playing her father andeEverything else, but I'm afraid of what Brian and Louisa think of my intentions, they might think I'm being self-interested."

"No, Gwil, no way," Ben said, patting his friend on the shoulder comfortingly.

"Gwilym, I'm sure Brian and Louisa know you well enough to know that your intentions with her are the best," Joe said with conviction.

"Okay, but ..." Lee reflected a little more - I'd rather wait, wait at least we finalize the movie and everything, so no one has this impression that I like Louisa just because of Queen or her father."

"Yeah, it might be, I think it's better, I understand your point of view" Joseph smiled at the plan "now don't get away from her, just keep being a good friend."

"I don't think I could get away from her, not really," Gwil confessed, giving a passionate sigh.

"Here's the last proof." Joe exchanged a knowing look with Ben, folding his arms.

Their friend in love just shook his head, used to Joe's irreverent manner, but his advice had calmed him down. To top it off, Joe and Ben started humming "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" in a very mocking way, like boys at school would do, which made Gwil laugh a little more.

When she came home, carefully but also anxiously, Gwilym called Louisa, desperate to just hear her.

"Hi Gwil!" she said excitedly. "How are you?"

"Yes, I'm fine" he confirmed, his mood was much better for talking to her "and you? How was your day?"

"Oh very normal" Louisa said casually "the children took a test today, about the Industrial Revolution, I was correcting the tests now ..."

"Seriously? Sorry to disturb you" Gwil felt bad.

"No, don't worry, I've corrected more than half" she laughed, sympathetic "besides, it's much faster because I already know the students, you know? I have a general sense of how they will respond, and I worked out the questions, so ... I'm boring you with this teacher talk, right?"

"No, not at all," Gwil assured her.

"Right, how about you? I think your day was nicer than mine!" Louisa engaged in the conversation.

"Well, we keep shooting the movie ..." he laughed, somewhat embarrassed, and then told more details, which Louisa commented, stretching their conversation.

During this time Chrissie had been trying to talk to her daughter for some time, but the phone was busy. Very worried and suspicious, Mrs. May worried about that, who could Louisa be talking to all this time? The young woman was always reserved and discreet, even a little elusive at times, but she had started to change that way a little, and Chrissie could tell her daughter was a little more open since making friends with the cast of the movie, and of all of them, it was clear how close she was to Gwilym. Even the day they watched Doctor Who together, Chrissie realized there was something special between them.

Mrs. May insisted a little more on the call but it remained busy. She ended up using the alternative of sending a message, which thankfully, Louisa didn't take long to respond, but its content confirmed all suspicions of her mother.

_"Sorry mom, I'm talking to Gwil"_

"Of course you are," Chrissie said a little irritably out loud.

"Talking to yourself, my flower?" Brian came to where she was, he was more concerned than finding his wife crazy.

"Yeah, I just blurted out, I just ..." She paused a little, letting the irritation pass "Lou has been talking to Gwilym for over an hour."

"Seriously? Maybe they're talking about Doctor Who" Brian tried to deduce "or did he want to ask anything more about me that only Lou could answer? I don't know..."

"Brian, haven't you noticed how close the two are lately?" Chrissie got to the point. "Doesn't it tell you anything?"

"Only that Gwilym and Louisa are friends, nothing more." He shrugged, still not understanding.

"Brian, I think Lou is falling in love with Gwil, and maybe he is falling in love for her too" said Mrs. May at once, who was startled by the fright that she caused her husband.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked in alarm.

"Just take a look, I've never seen Lou like this, with anyone in her entire life," Chrissie explained better. "She spends hours talking to him and feels so comfortable around him, she let him get closer ..."

"So, so ... We hope they tell us something" Bri was calmer now "let's not press, they are adults after all, and when they speak, we will congratulate them with an "I knew it".

"How can you be so calm about this?" his wife had to ask, sighing and laughing.

"Because I know Louisa and Gwilym very well, I know they won't get hurt," Brian said with certainty, "and even if something happens, I know they'll understand each other."

"Still, don't you worry?" Chrissie insisted. "It's your little girl we're talking about, you know the one who didn't come off your lap at all, who would do funny faces at me."

"And that little girl grew up, of course I worry about Lou, Chrissie, no matter how old she is, but in that case, it's something she has to take care by herself, you know?" Brian made her understand.

"I see, of course I know," his wife nodded. "I'll just have to let Lou understand what she's going through."

"That's right, only she can tell she's in love, there's no use in pointing it to her, we're going to look like annoying friends," Brian ended up laughing.

"I know how it is," said Mrs. May with a smile "we just wait and see what happens."

"Yeah," Brian said simply, closing the subject.

And his beloved Chrissie knew he was right, the dilemma was in Gwilym and Louisa's hands to solve.


	21. Weird Feeling

When Louisa left school in the end of the morning, she was hurrying straight to her parents' house. That's why when her mother called, Louisa answered promptly.

"Hi mom, are you home, aren't you? You and Daddy?" she answered quickly.

"Calm down, Lou, I barely said hello" Chrissie was surprised "are you ok or have you drank too many coffee?"

"No, it's nothing like that" the young woman laughed "I imagine you called to ask me to go to the movie set, right?"

"That's right," replied her mother, somewhat suspiciously, "how do you know? Ah I know, Gwilym must have said something yesterday, no?"

"Yeah, now you got me, see?" Louisa said, amused "we have the same level of cleverness, well I just wanted to warn that I'm already coming to meet you, so wait for me."

"Fine, my love, see you later," Chrissie said good-bye, but still worried.

Brian, who was close to his wife during the call, noticed her astonishment.

"What is it now, my darling?" he asked, but asking carefully.

"Louisa knew exactly why I called, because Gwilym told her we were going to set today" Chrissie said, still impressed "see? They really are close ..."

"And isn't it good?" Brian touched his wife's chin gently so she could look at him "remember what we talked about? They are adults and will understand each other."

"Of course, I know" she ended up smiling "I just worry, that's all, you know how difficult is this all process of falling in love, especially Lou ..."

"If Lou needs advice, we'll be right here to help her," Brian said, "and if I remember correctly, you're an excellent advisor."

"Thank you," she kissed her husband's cheek, "for the compliment and for calming me down."

"You're welcome." Brian caressed her face.

Louisa arrived shortly thereafter, and as soon as they had finished their lunch, they went to the location where "Bohemian Rhapsody" would be filmed today. Once again, the scenery impressed everyone, because it recreated a bar perfectly, and it was the first time Chrissie hadn't recognized what this place was, let alone what they were filming there. One small detail she noticed was the Smile logos hanging at the back of the stage.

"I guess you don't know where this is," Louisa deduced, seeing the doubt on her mother's face.

"No, not really," Chrissie confirmed, "but I think this is before Queen, did you see Smile's logo? I think the scene they are going to film may be from a time when I didn't even know your father."

"Wow, it's been a long time!" Louisa was amazed at the thought "it's nice to put this in the movie."

"Well, the movie is about the origin of Queen, so it makes sense to show this time," her mother mused.

"The boys must be getting ready, right? I wanted to say hello to them, but I think I better not go now, maybe I get in the way" Miss. May said out loud, it was more a thought than a conversation with her mother.

"You're right," Chrissie replied, and ended up smiling, thinking that the first time her daughter went to the set, she wasn't so willing to go.

It wasn't long before the boys showed up, taking their seats. Joe and Rami weren't there, but another actor had positioned himself along with Ben and Gwilym, Gwilym, who was precisely who Louisa wanted most to see. Not that she didn't care about the boys, she had grown fond of the four of them, but she had so much in common with Gwil and they had come so close that her anxiety for seeing him again was undeniable.

"The lad we don't know is playing Tim, isn't he?" Chrissie asked Brian as he joined his wife and daughter.

"That's right, they're going to film a scene with Smile playing," he added.

When the director gave the action command, the May swith the rest of Queen also settled in to watch the scene. As much as the song they played was originally from Smile, Queen had recorded it on their first album. Chrissie, however discreetly, was even singing along.

"Doing Alright" was one of Louisa's favorite songs, and hearing it there on the set made her feel good, but something else was catching her eye, there was something different about Gwilym, or maybe herself, but definitely if Louisa was feeling something different, it was because of him.

For a start, today he wasn't wearing the curly-headed wig she was slow to get used to, but now she was used to it. His hair was straight, still bulky, but with no sign of curls, falling into his eyes. In the end, he didn't look like her father, at least not how Louisa remembered younger Brian, it was like seeing just Gwilym, as if he was playing another musician in a play.

She was watching him, attentive to his every move, and as she did so, Louisa felt her heart beating faster, she smiled automatically, just to be able to stare at Gwilym. 

More memories came to her mind, not linked to her childhood or Queen, but much more recent things Louisa had experienced. Gwil had always been so kind to her, understanding her, in a way that her gratitude for it was growing, and she noted in herself that perhaps all this she felt was due to something bigger, with a different meaning.

Louisa hadn't had many crushes at school, the boys used to find her too closed or angry, and she also ignored when her little heart felt something for someone, impatient to expect retribution that never came. But now, she was sure that what she felt for Gwilym had a little to do with it, but still, it went much further. It was strange, weird, but Louisa was liking a guy who looked physically like her father.

The odd thing was that even seeing Gwilym playing Brian was what made her realize her feelings for the actor. But on deeper reflection, Louisa didn't see her father in Gwilym today, because he was playing a version of Brian she never knew, it was as if the actor was playing someone else.

Louisa had until the end of the scene to recover, already waiting for Gwilym to come talk to her, even without knowing what to do. He had taken a long breath, also nervous but at the same time content.

"Hi, Lou," he greeted her, "I'm glad you came."

"Yeah, yeah, I came" she stumbled over the words, trying to think what to say "I liked today's scene, "Doing Alright", right? My mom's biggest favorite ... And mine too."

"Yeah, I remember you said it," Gwilym replied, noticing that Louisa had suddenly become embarrassed for no apparent reason. "Sorry to ask, but are you okay?"

"Yes, I am" she bit her lip, trying to control the embarrassment and act normally "will you still film? Are you leaving later? Tell me where I'm going to meet you there."

"Yeah, we probably will" he gave her a small smile "we will probably go to "Haijing" again, I'll let the guys know that you're waiting for us."

"Right, right, we meet later" Louisa nodded several times, still nervous "we meet later then, I ... I'll drink some water, okay?"

"Okay," Gwilym said, but he was very worried about her.

Louisa didn't look well and that made him more upset, but he wouldn't press her, he just wanted to know exactly what to do to help her.


	22. Hidden by friendship

Louisa was relieved to be able to leave the set early and not have to face Gwilym head-on, she would have some time alone before she saw him again and would recover from her newfound discovery to feel better around him.

It was weird, so weird, she knew how much she liked him, her real desire to be around him, to hear him talk and talk to him, to laugh together, to have that moment alone when he gave her a ride, but at the same time, the feeling scared her, filled her with fear that she didn't know what to do, because she was afraid of what Gwilym would say if he found out. Maybe like her, he thought Louisa liking him was weird.

Miss May took another sip of water, taking a deep breath, calming down, deciding what to do. Louisa's first decision was to control her feelings, she couldn't let fear and restlessness dictate her actions, and second, she and Gwilym had better remain friends. Since he was too observant, if she acted a little differently than usual, he would notice, ask what she had, and Louisa couldn't lie to him at all, especially now.

With a deep sigh, she decided to keep those feelings to herself, she wouldn't bother anyone with it, much less let it push her away from the boys who had become her friends. That's how Louisa came back to where her mother was much calmer, watching the crew and the cast reshoot the scene she had just seen.

"Are you alright Lou?" Chrissie asked directly, as nothing different about her children went unnoticed to her.

"I am, Mom, I'm just thirsty." She smiled unconvincingly, but Chrissie understood her and asked no more questions.

Because she was able to keep what she was feeling, Louisa still managed to be admiring Gwil, inevitably feeling a little guilty that she had grown fond of him to that extent, once again reminding herself that it would be unfair for her to deny her friendship to him. When she saw Gwilym approaching, she took another deep breath, but also managed to smile, he returned the smile and Louisa's heart melted further.

"Hi, we'll be shooting until late today" Gwilym soon warned, regretting a little "but I'll call you to let you know when we get out of here, okay, Lou?"

"Yeah, fine," she nodded.

"I saw you got better," Gwil said with relief, "no matter what it was, but I hope it wasn't me again ..."

He laughed and Louisa was alarmed by the statement, but his laughter assured her it was just a joke, then thinking a little more, she soon understood what it was.

"Oh, you didn't scare me for being like my father today" now she managed to laugh "because today you played my father long before he was my father."

"So I didn't scare you?" he demanded, jokingly speaking.

"No, not today," she confirmed with a smile.

"Back to places, everyone, please," said the production assistant, but Gwilym and Louisa were already used to those interruptions.

"You can go," she said sympathetically.

He just nodded gratefully. Louisa gave another sigh, and moments later, returned home with her parents. She chatted excitedly with them about Queen and Smile and the early 70's, it was always nice to see her parents completing what each other spoke, which helped her calm down more.

Brian left his daughter at home, so Louisa waited for Gwilym's call, this time much more anxious. A little after eight-thirty, he called, hoping she wouldn't be long enough to answer.

"Hey, Gwilym, you just left?" she wanted to be sure.

"Yeah, we're on our way to Haijing now," he replied. "I'll wait for you there."

"Fine," Louisa confirmed and went as quickly as possible.

He found everyone at the same table the other day and ironically, the only empty seat was the chair next to Gwilym, deep down she didn't bother with that.

"Hi Lou, I'm glad you're here, there's something we want to tell you" Rami warned and she was attentive as she settled in her seat.

"What is it? You didn't do anything wrong in my absence, right?" Louisa said like a suspicious mother, but joking.

"No, none of that" Ben defended himself and his friends "we were talking to Gwil that we started watching Doctor Who."

"Seriously? This is wonderful!" she immediately rejoiced to hear that "tell me more, what did you think? Until which episode have you watched?"

"I got to that one of the green chubby aliens," Rami said. "What do they call them?"

"Slitheen! "Louisa and Gwilym answered together, which made the two exchange an awkward smile.

"That's right," Malek nodded. "I got a little confused, you know? Because at the same time they are very funny they can also be intimidating."

"Yeah, I know how it is, but I still find them a little weird," she commented. "And you Ben, watched what episode?"

"The World War II one," Hardy said. "I won't give spoilers to you, but I confess I got scaried".

"Oh, get used to it, if there's one thing about Doctor Who is the monsters," Gwilym warned.

"In fact they are always aliens, but they are always presented as monsters, in a context full of terror," Louisa added, but then was embarrassed, for correcting Gwilym and for the other reason "sorry Gwil, it seemed rude to correct you, I remembered my father now."

"Oh, Dr. May has correction crazes" Lee ended up laughing, unable to take offense at her, but upset that she felt bad.

Miss May nodded, embarrassed but grateful, hurrying back to her disguise.

"And you, Joe?" Louisa turned to him " you said nothing until now."

"Well, is that ..." Joseph awoke from his reverie, to observe his friend so close to his beloved, admiring their complicity that had everything to become more than a friendship "never mind, I was a little embarrassed to tell that I already arrived at the Christmas episode."

"What? The first episode with Tennant?" Gwilym laughed that his friend watched so many episodes "Joe, you're insane!"

"No, it's because now I know very well why you love this show so much!" Joe replied with the same enthusiasm "I couldn't stop seeing, whenever I had some free time, I would go there and watch, so I think I'm officially in your club, ah, what the fans call themselves again?"

"Whovians!" and again Gwil and Lou said the word together, this time they shared a laugh.

"That's it, we're all Whovians, newbies, but real fans, right guys?" Mazzello looked at Rami and Ben.

"Yes, yes." They nodded and then a waitress approached, not Gina, to Joe's relief.

"Hello good evening, welcome to Haijing, say your names and requests if you have already chosen, please" the girl was friendly and practical.

"Ah right" as Rami was sitting on the left end of the table, was the first to say, and everyone understood that they would follow the order of the place where they were sitting.

So they responded by saying their name and the number of their order, until it was Gwilym's turn, and a small setback, the kind he was already used to, arose.

"Sorry, "Gil - lin"? said the waitress, confused "how do I write it if you don't mind spelling?"

"No, no, miss, I ..." He swallowed the embarrassment. "Call me Gwil, only Gwil, it gets easier, I don't care."

"Okay, Gwil." The waitress smiled apologetically and took his order, then left.

"I'm sorry ..." Louisa said automatically, feeling bad that Gwilym was embarrassed, she squeezed his shoulder lightly to calm him down.

"Thanks," was the sincerest answer he could give at that moment. "I know I shouldn't care, but ... is it really that hard to say Gwilym?"

"No, but we call you Gwil out of love," Rami tried to comfort him.

"I know, never mind, guys." Lee scowled and then returned to his good mood.

It might be very simple, but someone's name had a lot to do with their identity, who you were and all that made you a person, ignoring a person's name, strange as it was, was ignoring the person itself. Louisa was saddened by this, touched that Gwilym was upset, but she would try to help him, just as a friend, hoping it would be enough.


	23. The movie premiere

Talking about Doctor Who and Haijing's great food helped to keep the heavy, tense mood out of a pleasant time with friends. When they decided to leave, Gwilym once again gave them a lift, deciding to do something different, leaving Louisa at home first, thinking that she was the one who had to wake up early the next day.

When Louisa realized she was coming to her building, she was relieved on the one hand, she would not have to spend a moment alone with sheer embarrassment in Gwilym's company, but she also loved those moments, but was content that it would be much better like that. But something else was bothering her, the way he felt bad that the waitress didn't understand his name, Louisa was desperate to comfort him in any way. She sighed before getting out of the car, deciding to put into practice the idea she had just had.

"So, good night guys" she turned smiling to Ben, Rami and Joe "thanks for everything, and keep watching Doctor Who!"

"Oh we will" Ben replied while Joe and Rami laughed and nodded.

"And Gwilym?" she mustered the courage to call him, he turned to her, fully aware "your name is not at all difficult to speak, and ... don't be ashamed if people don't understand your name, because even if they think it's strange, behind your name has a nice, kind guy who ... is a good friend, and that's what Gwilym means to me."

"Thanks Lou," he nodded, even more moved and grateful. "Really, thank you very much."

"You're welcome," she answered quickly and a little blandly, but even so, without hesitation, she kissed his cheek, a quick kiss that made her heart almost jump out of her mouth, but Louisa recovered quickly "good night, Gwilym."

She emphasized his name, complete without nicknames, so that he was sure of everything she had stated.

"Good night," Gwil answered and gave her another farewell smile.

After the car drove off, Louisa released the large amount of air she was holding. Once again she told herself that the right thing to do was for her and Gwilym to remain friends. And that's how they stayed for months, talked constantly, had dinner with Rami, Joe, and Ben, but didn't say anything to each other about how they felt.

During this time, Rami and Lucy came closer, and Joe could be relieved that at least one of his co-workers had confessed his love and now they were dating. Another thing that occupied the cast was the finalization of the movie, the last scenes were recorded and then, post production began, all the work of editing the scenes and the audio up to turning it all into a movie itself.

What once seemed kind of distant, and in a process that Louisa and her parents followed, Queen's story was taking shape as a movie, and there they were on the day of the movie's premiere. The band members' families were honored guests, which included Louisa, so she stopped to think that this was the first major Queen-related event she would attend since her teens. The nervousness that came from thinking that was natural, but soon she clung to something that would calm her down and help her deal with it all, which was to think that none of this had anything to do with her, she wouldn't be the center of attention tonight. Only Queen, or rather her father and uncles, whom she has always been very proud of.

Her cell phone rang at that moment and feeling much better Louisa answered, seeing that Jimmy had called.

"Jim! What's up? Excited for today?" she soon said, eager to meet the rest of the family later in the evening.

"Hi, I am, but apparently you are much more" Jimmy laughed "that's exactly what I was going to talk to you, want to go with us to Wembley?"

"Yes, we can go together, I'll go there or you pick me up here?" Louisa wanted to know.

"Come on, Lou, you're my sister, I make sure to pick you up," Jimmy offered heartily, glad to see his sister so excited -"around 7, and don't be late, okay?"

"Me, late? I don't get late, I just show up at convenient times for me" she joked "okay then, Jim, see you later."

"Bye, bye," Jimmy hung up.

So, the day passed, Louisa got dressed in a dedicated way, dressing in an elegant way, but that felt good, without following too many fashion protocols, since she had never cared much about it. At 6:40, she was ready, waiting for Jimmy, who arrived well on time.

"Hi Jim, Rory, Isaac," she greeted each of them and sat next to her nephew.

"Aunt Lou!" said the boy, hugging her quickly.

"I missed you too, Zac." She smiled at his gesture.

"How are you, Louisa?" Rory was cordial with her.

"I'm fine, I'm very curious to see how the movie went," her sister-in-law replied.

"I'm more than you," Jimmy replied, "you saw a lot more than us, I didn't see a thing."

"Ah, you're saying that because I visited the set? No, it's not for that" Louisa laughed a little embarrassed "I saw a scene here or there, but once edited in the movie, it becomes a very different thing."

"Yeah, we'll see the result of all this in a moment," Jimmy resumed, continuing to drive.

When they got there, they soon found their parents and sister, and Chrissie was very happy to see her older children coming together, along with Rory and Isaac, their beloved daughter-in-law and grandson.

"Oh it's good that you've arrived" the matriarch gave each one a tight hug "we just have to go through the red carpet and take some pictures, but you can escape the interviews."

Chrissie May had always been a shy person and understood more than anyone how difficult it was to deal with so many spotlights, no matter how they were directed at her but at her husband and friends. Her children and Rory had grown up with the constant presence of the media, so being careful and loving as always, she thought it best to warn them.

"Thanks, Mom," Louisa said, knowing that her mother's warning was one more thing Chrissie used to calm her daughter.

A little later, they met with Brian and consequently Gwilym. Louisa just shook her head, controlling her feelings, but he, already nervous about the movie's premiere, was even more agitated to see her, yet it was a good feeling.

"Hi, I'm glad you came," he said with the typical smile that melted Louisa's heart once more.

"Well, after so much backstage visiting, I had to come to see the end result," she joked.

"As much as you think you were too much on set, I really liked you always going there," he confessed.

"Oh I ..." That caught Louisa off guard, and she almost lost her composure "thank you for thinking so."

Their conversation was interrupted by flashes, when they realized they were positioned side by side with the rest of the May family. The feeling that all this attention still made Louisa dizzy, but she managed to deal with it, no one had been disrespectful and inconvenient and having Gwilym by her side also helped her get well.

By the time they had all taken their seats, they had both sat away from each other, equally regretting that they could not sit together. They ignored the feeling when the movie began to air. It was strange what Louisa felt when she saw the movie, it was a mixture of that old astonishment of Gwilym's stark resemblance to Brian, what was most evident in the movie, really was how to see her younger father, but at the same time, in some small moments, she noticed Gwilym. She was thrilled with some scenes, even crying less than her mother, but overall, she was very proud of the entire cast.

When the movie was over, after a lot of clapping and cheering, the Mays stood up together, then sharing their opinions.

"I remember Live Aid day more or less," Jimmy said, "but the movie version reminded me of what I had forgotten ..."

"Dad, you didn't dub Gwilym, did you? Because his voice was identical to yours, it can only be yours!" Emily was frightened by this characteristic feature of her father that Lee could reproduce.

"Oh no my love, it's just him imitating me, if he convinced you he had the same voice as mine, it's just because he's a great actor," Brian explained that way.

"No dad, are you sure you didn't have any children before Emily? I'm pretty sure Gwilym can be our lost brother.” Louisa did this joke to ease the tension of her feelings, to convince herself to continue only as a friend of Gwilym's.

"Oh, Lou ... You embarass me with shame like that." Chrissie felt embarrassed.

"Well, you said he was a lot like Uncle Brian, Aunt Chrissie," Rory came to her mother-in-law's rescue, "and that impressed Lou a lot."

While the May laughed a little more together, the cast in turn took more photos and received greetings from other important guests. Despite all the excitement and so many people present, Rami, Ben, Joe and especially Gwilym missed Louisa there with them, as she was always present in recent months.

"I'm going to talk to her," Lee offered without fear, which made his companions smile approvingly.

They knew how much he liked her, Rami found out a little later about it, that is, Gwil's feelings were obvious, and his friend confessed to him, but now that Rami had gone through what Gwilym was and was finally with Lucy, hoped that his friend would have the same success with Louisa.

Miss May in question soon saw him and hurried to meet him, noticing the boys and Lucy nearby.

"Hi, Gwilym, congratulations on the movie" she ended up hugging him, in a gesture of greeting "it was amazing, it's amazing, you ... you all were excellent."

"Thanks, Lou, wow, it's wonderful to hear that from you, really," he said sincerely.

"I'm going to talk to the boys too, okay?" She soon made an excuse not to be alone with him for as long as she really wanted to talk to the rest of the cast.

"Louisa, good to see you " Rami said by the companions and she shook the hand of each of them.

"So you're Louisa May," Lucy said as she shook her hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. Of course, I had seen you on set, but we never spoke."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that" Louisa replied "Lucy, isn't it? Nice to meet you and my congratulations on the movie, you were also amazing and so much like Aunt Mary."

"Thank you," she smiled, flattered by the compliments.

"I also enjoyed meeting you, Rami always spoke a lot about you" Louisa added.

"I hope only the good stuff," Lucy joked.

"I have no bad thing to complain about you, my love" Rami said to his girlfriend, making charm, although it was very shy.

"You are cute" Louisa made a point of comment, delighted with the way of the two lovebirds.

The comment made everyone laugh, making Rami a little embarrassed, but Lucy accepted the compliment. Realizing that Jimmy was already leaving, Louisa soon said goodbye to them.

"Bye, guys, it was great to see you again." She smiled and waved, going to meet her brother.

Louisa and the boys really hoped to meet again, since the friendship they had built between them was so precious to them, even to her and Gwilym, as much as they felt something stronger than friendship.


	24. Under Pressure

So "Bohemian Rhapsody" was finally available for everyone to watch. The movie had different effects on different people and audiences.

For Queen it had been a beautiful tribute and recognition of their work, for critics there were certain issues with the film and it could have been a lot better, nothing the band wasn't used to deal with. For most fans it had been a wonderful piece about the band they loved, for the new fans who had discovered Queen it had been a real wonder and enchantment. For the cast, it was a joy to see the popularity and affection many people had with them and with the film, something they could see while interviewing and traveling to promote the film.

For Louisa, all this repercussion had touched her life too. There was criticism about the movie all over the internet, as well as comments on TV, especially praising the performance of Rami, Miss. May couldn't help but be proud of her friends. And so Queen's popularity was increasing, as in the old days, but unlike in the past, none of this directly affected Louisa's life, no one questioned her about who her father was, or what she thought of the movie about the band her father was part of.

But life always surprises us, positively or negatively, when we least expect it, and poor Louisa couldn't escape a side effect she had faced so many times in her life.

It was recess time, one more morning at school, and Louisa left the teachers' room to buy something in the cafeteria when she heard a conversation from some students that caught her eye and when she found herself,she had stopped to listen.

"So that movie from the band Queen is great!" said one of the girls, Louisa recognized her as her student "I ended up researching more about them, there is so much of their music that wasn't in the movie, they are very good."

"Really?" her friend replied curiously "then send me the songs you liked, but what about the cast? Who did you find the most handsome?"

"Oh Mandy, what a silly question!" Louisa's student laughed "I didn't think about it, I liked their songs and their story ..."

"But Becca, I'm sure you liked one of them" Mandy insisted "tell me right away!"

"Okay, ok!" Becca eventually accepted "I like the actor who plays Brian, okay? What's his name again? Gwil ... Gwilym Lee, yeah!"

"Oh, really? Even with all that hair?" Mandy criticized "Ben Hardy is much more beautiful!"

"Oh my God ..." Louisa murmured softly, hearing a little more of that silly discussion of who among the four main actors, who were also his friends, was the most handsome.

While buying a tuna sandwich, the history teacher was slightly distracted, pondering the conversation she just heard, amazed at the way the girls spoke. Of course it was just futile, mischievous teenage talk, but even so, they talked about the man Louisa loved, and there was just what she feared. She was used to hearing about her father, but it had never crossed her mind that the repercussions of the movie wouldn't only fall on Queen, but also on the cast, which put Gwilym and the boys in the spotlight. The thought of it made her heart tighten.

Louisa managed to recover in time to return to the classroom. She explained a little about the consolidation of the European kingdoms and soon after she let some questions on the subject on the blackboard. While her students were busy, she sat at her desk. If there was one thing she had inherited from her parents was to be very observant, and besides that, being a teacher made her more attentive, so she noticed a strange buzz.

Her students were definitely talking about her, whispering and looking at the teacher discreetly, doubtfully, confused.

"Do you have any questions about the subject, guys?" Louisa decided to take action on that.

"Huh, Miss. May, can I ask you a question?" Becca took courage and did what the whole group at the bottom of the classroom wanted to do.

"Yes, if I can answer," the teacher said, bracing herself for the worst, having a feeling what this was all about.

"What's the name of your parents?" Becca turned out.

It was a simple question that apparently had no malice, but Louisa knew where her student were going to. Feeling pressured, she tried to get around the situation as best she could.

"My mother's name is Christine," Louisa said flatly, "and my father's name is Brian."

"And what are their jobs?" Becca continued.

"They could very well be retired, right, Becca?" Louisa shot, which scared the girl "but my mother was a primary school teacher and my father is a doctor."

"Doctor?" the student almost collapsed because she seemed so close to the truth "in what area?"

"He's an astrophysicist, Rebecca," Louisa said, somewhat annoyed, but controlling herself not to mistreat the girl, she was just being curious "my parents are Brian and Chrissie May, the same Brian May guitarist from Queen, I'm his daughter, yes, are you satisfied?"

She was more energetic than she wanted to be, seeing that she had scared her students.

"I'm sorry about that, is that ..." she sighed "sometimes it's very annoying to have a famous father, because I wouldn't want to be famous, understand? Now, please, don't comment on this with me or in my class anymore."

The students eventually nodded and returned to the activities. Still, Louisa felt bad about losing her temper and getting angry at Queen's fame again. It hadn't been as bad as in the past, but she was still learning to deal with it all over again. She just took another breath and tried to calm down.

Returning home, as she always did to distract herself at night, she turned on the television, and what she saw didn't help her deal with the incident in the classroom much.

There was a lengthy article about the production of the movie going on and on top of that, another interview with Rami, Gwilym and Joe. The first thing Louisa thought when she saw them was how much she missed them and Ben too. Hardy was working on another project while his mates were promoting the movie. It had been a long time since she had seen them, although they exchanged messages regularly, especially with Gwilym, it was him she missed most, the distance had increased her feelings for him. Seeing him there in front of her, even if only for a transmission, made Louisa's heart beat faster, made her longing increase. But soon she began to think something else.

Here was her Gwil, kind, caring, with that smile that made her heart melt, ready to come rescue her like a prince charming if she needed it. But now, after all, he had also become Gwilym Lee, the actor who had played Brian May in the acclaimed Bohemian Rhapsody. What would anyone so big and important and targeted see in her but a simple teacher who was in the shadow of an attention she never wanted? If she stayed with Gwilym, Louisa knew she would never get out of the spotlight, and that wasn't what she wanted.

She loved Gwilym, but maybe now, he had become even more unreachable. She understood with a tight heart, but once and for all, that they had to be just friends.


	25. Revelation

After some time traveling, Gwilym, Rami and Joe finally returned to London, joining Ben again, to attend two awards that "Bohemian Rhapsody" was being nominated for. It was great to participate in all this, to see how much their work was being recognized, and spend more time together. Yet for Gwilym, despite loving his friends, who had become like brothers throughout this journey, he still missed Louisa with them beside him.

Even in the midst of all the attention they were getting for the movie, Rami noticed Gwilym worried and distant at times.

"Gwil, are you all right? Did something happen?" he asked out of concern during the trip back to London.

"Well, is that ..." Gwilym cleared his throat, trying to focus on what he would say "I didn't tell you because, well I didn't want to bother you, neither you nor Lucy, but ..."

He stopped and laughed a little, leaving Rami confused.

"You can talk, I'm here listening, aren't I?" Malek really wanted to help you.

"Do you know that joke Joe kept doing about me liking Louisa?" Gwil was explaining, feeling slightly embarrassed "well, it's no joke for me anymore."

"Ah Gwil, so that's what you're worrying about? We already knew it... But this is good, it is really wonderful" Rami smiled "Lou is amazing and you two get along so much!

"It may be, but I thought it was better to take a break, wait a while to talk to her, until the movie was ready ..." Lee sighed "I decided I'll tell her when I get back home."

"Well, my friend, I wish you all the luck in the world," Rami said heartily and Gwilym replied with a grateful smile.

Thus, Bafta and SAG Awards went on, with Rami winning Best Actor awards. Louisa saw it all from afar, as much as fame bothered her, she could still separate things, it was all the result of a lot of talent and effort, and she was proud of Rami and the boys. That was why, when she received an invitation from Gwilym for everyone to gather together in his apartment, she readily accepted, motivated to be able to see her friends again, to make it up for the time they spend far from each other.

Of course her strong feelings for Gwilym also motivated her, she was even more in love with him after so long without seeing each other, but still, Louisa was determined to ignore her feelings, to convince them to become just affection and friendship.

Gwilym, in turn, had more plans with this invitation than just getting the main cast of the movie together. That would be the day when he would confess his love to Louisa in all humility and sincerity, waiting for her to accept him. It was taking courage that he sent the invitation by message and he was immensely excited and hopeful when she replied that she would come.

Louisa was late on purpose, afraid to find Gwilym alone and feel awkward again. So when she arrived at the apartment, she was relieved to see that Lucy, Rami, Ben and Joe were already there.

"Hi, I ..." Gwilym told her as he opened the door, so static with emotion at finally seeing her after so long, he'd like to give her a big hug, but held back "I thought you wouldn't come."

"Oh, I'm a little late, sorry." She was thrilled to see him, but also embarrassed, guilty, to see that he had been saddened by her delay.

"Louisa, I'm glad you arrived, sit here!" Lucy called her, and she smiled, sitting on the other side of her.

"Hi guys!" Miss. May told everyone, in her usual way "I know it took me a while, but I'm here after all."

"The boys were telling about Doctor Who, how you and Gwilym love the show, and that they love it now," Lucy updated her on the subject of the group was talking about.

"So you know the show, Lucy? Ah, that's good!" Louisa smiled to discover this "and you watched more episodes, even with so many appointments?"

"Well, we always watched when we had some free time" Rami answered "I watched until the Doctor and Donna, I'm in the middle of the season."

"So I'm still late," Ben mused, "I stopped at the Shakespeare episode with the Doctor and Martha."

"This is great!" Gwilym was excited.

"Well, so I officially passed you both" Joe crossed his arms proudly "I arrived at Matt Smith's season with Amy, I'm just curious to know who River is after all!"

"Oh as she would say, spoilers!" Louisa joked and laughed, making everyone laugh with her too "but I need to say something to you all."

That made everyone alert, especially Gwilym, very afraid of what Louisa might say.

"Calm down, don't be scared" she gave a sympathetic smile "congratulations on all the nominations in the movie and the prizes Rami has won. Seriously guys, I saw a little on television and I'm very proud of you all."

"Oh thank you ..." she heard Lucy and the boys mutter in excitement.

Rami even made sure to hug her, which Louisa reciprocated. When she found herself, his hug had become a group hug. Lucy had approached first, then Joe with all his enthusiasm, Ben more shy, and Gwilym at last, being the tallest of all, involving everyone. Louisa wanted to cry, feeling so welcomed in this group that she never imagined she could be part of.

After they broke up, they talked a little more about the boys' trip, a little more about Doctor Who, and laughed a lot. When Rami and Lucy decided to leave, Joe and Ben took the opportunity to go, and Louisa, after forgetting the tension of hiding her feelings for Gwilym, remembered that detail and was leaving too.

"Um, Lou ..." Gwilym called shyly, apprehensively, scratching his head, and all that gesture worried her, hoping it wasn't because of her that he was like that "can I talk to you? I promise I won't be long."

"Okay" Louisa ignored the fear of being alone because she was more worried and curious.

"I ... It has been a while since I realized that I ..." he sighed, deciding to say it in all sincerity "yeah, I thought it was going to be easier, but it's never easy to talk about these things, so what I mean, Louisa, is that ... I realized that I love you, really, I love you so much, you're amazing! Wonderful in a way that I can't even explain in words, I just know that you are all this to me, and with all due respect to you and your family, and your father, I intend to talk to your father about it if you accept, I really wanted to be your boyfriend, if you let me, please."

Louisa was so shocked that she couldn't say anything more. She could never imagine that Gwilym had the same feelings for her, and that made it all more painful. She wanted to be with him, that was all she wanted, but she couldn't help but think about what she would face by simply being by his side, things she couldn't bear to relive again. She put a hand to her mouth, suppressing a gasp of panic.

"Louisa?" Gwilym asked, completely worried, afraid.

"No, no, no ..." she murmured in desperation, shaking her head. "No, Gwilym, no ..."

She took a deep breath, trying to calm down, trying to give him a plausible answer.

"Sorry, but I think you got it all wrong between us," she said firmly but carefully. "We're friends, good friends, and that's all, nothing more than that. Me and you together would be weird because you're just like my dad. Sorry, Gwilym, sorry, sorry ..."

He stared at her, puzzled, unsure what to do, just feeling the pain of his heart breaking into multiple pieces inside. His love for Louisa made him respect her decision, Gwilym just nodded, completely devastated.

"I'm sorry, I have to go ..." That's all Louisa could answer.

Turning, she left his apartment in a hurry, but the image of poor Gwilym completely destroyed because of her haunted her thoughts as she left.


	26. Asking for Help

Louisa left completely bewildered, the pain in her heart becoming almost physical, it was as if she were holding a huge burden and would drop it at any moment.

When she reached the street, walking alone to the subway station, she tried to cry as quietly as possible, not wanting to alarm anyone, or to draw attention. It was too terrible what she was feeling, as much as Gwilym's words were full of love and sincerity, having to leave him behind was the painful decision Louisa had chosen, but dealing with it wasn't being easy at all.

She had to get away from that pain, needed shelter and comfort. That was how she decided to go to the only person who would understand her at the moment, her mother. Arriving at her parents' house in Barnes, Louisa realized there was no one there, which made her more desperate. She could only call her mother insistently.

Chrissie was in a meeting with Queen's staff at that time when she saw her cell phone ringing nonstop. It was silent, but she decided to ignore it, as she had to pay attention to the meeting and what she was taking notes. Again her cell phone rang and Chrissie thought it best to check it. She took the device from her purse as discretely as possible, but Brian, being by her side, realized something was wrong.

Chrissie's heart pounded when she saw who was calling.

"Excuse me," she said softly.

She looked at Brian in a way that asked him to stay in the meeting so as not to cause further turmoil. He understood his wife and only then did she leave.

"Lou? Are you okay?" Chrissie asked her daughter, wondering at her call.

Mrs. May knew that Louisa had always been very independent, and when she had grown up, she had moved a little away from her family, it was the way she found to deal with her father's fame, and her mother had always understood her. That was why it was so strange that Louisa took the initiative to call at that moment, so suddenly, Chrissie worried even more about her daughter.

"Sorry to disturb you ..." Louisa sobbed on the other end of the line "I know you're busy, I needed to see you, I'm here at home, I ... I need you, Mom ..."

When she said home, Chrissie understood that she wasn't referring to her apartment, but to her family home in Barnes, where Chrissie and Brian still lived, where she grew up. Louisa was still in front of the house, waiting for someone to arrive.

"Be calm, my love, I'm on my way, don't worry," her mother warned her, trying to keep her cool.

By the time Chrissie returned to the room, the meeting was over and Brian came straight to his wife, as distressed as she was.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Louisa is home, she's very sad about something and wants to talk to me," Chrissie explained quickly.

"Oh my God ..." Brian sighed "do you want me to come with you?"

"No Bri, apparently she wants to talk alone with me, stay here to finish setting the details of the meeting, but go home as soon as you can" his wife thought it best that he did so.

"Fine, if you need to call me," he said and said goodbye to Chrissie with a kiss on her cheek.

Only then did Chrissie drive home, afraid and worried about what her daughter was going through. Arriving at the front of the house, she looked for Louisa in a hurry, and there was her daughter completely shaken. Chrissie rushed to hug her, and Louisa said nothing, only gratefully returning her mother's affection.

Chrissie thought it best not to say anything, just hoping her daughter was well enough to be able to tell what was ailing her. Louisa ran to her old room, lying on her old bed, allowing herself to cry more openly, feeling safe, with no one watching and judging her.

Chrissie waited a moment and, after pondering, decided to see how Louisa was doing. The mother went to her daughter's room, and when she opened the door, she found Lou huddled in her bed, her face swollen, her gaze lost, very different from the strong, smiling girl she always was. As much as she was an adult now, she would always be her mother's little girl, and in that situation, more than ever, Louisa seemed to be a child again.

"My love?" Chrissie called her softly and as soon as she noticed her mother's presence, Louisa came running to hug her.

"Oh mom, I'm glad you came ..." she said with pure relief.

"Yes, I'm here, I just need you to tell me what happened ..." Chrissie spoke to her softly.

"All right" she sighed, regaining her posture, sitting on her bed "is that ... Gwil ... Gwilym ..."

"Did Gwil disturb you?" her mother didn't know if she was shocked or angry "I don't think he's capable of that, but if he did something, I promise your father and I will talk to him."

"No, it's nothing like that" Louisa managed to laugh because of the deductions "is something that only you will understand ..."

"I have an idea of what it is, but tell me anyway, Lou." Mrs. May asked with all patience.

"It's that ... kinda accidentally ..." Louisa was suddenly shy "I ... I fell in love with Gwilym, I know it's weird, after all he's looks a lot like Dad, and I joked that he might be my brother but ..."

"You never imagined that would happen," Chrissie deduced, almost sure, understanding her daughter's feelings very well. "Didn't he correspond you?"

"On the contrary, Mom." Lou wiped her eyes. "He, he came to talk to me, proposed ... to talk to Dad about dating me, even, the problem is that I ... I messed up. I was ... Not rude, but a liar ... I said that he misunderstood our relationship and it was strange that I dated him because he played my own father ..."

"But that's not why," Chrissie understood the whole situation, "you're afraid of what the fact of him being a public person might do to your life."

"Yeah, Mom, I ..." Louisa nodded "I saw how much it hurt you so long, and it made me sad to see you so sad, and honestly, I don't want to go through this, Mom, I don't want to..."

"Calm down, Lou" the mother hugged her again "it seems to be horrible at first, and it's really bad, but for love, real love, you can get over it all, I speak from experience, if you know who Gwilym really is as I know who your father really is, nothing can get in the way of both of you ... Just tell him the truth, my flower, if he really loves you, he deserves to know and will understand you."

"I would do that if I was sure he wants to talk to me after what I said." Louisa sounded discouraged.

"You'll only know if you try." Her mother took her hand encouragingly.

"I ... I'll have to wait a while to do this, Mom ..." Louisa said and her mother respected her feelings.

Chrissie left her a little alone, to get her thoughts in order.

Meanwhile, it was hard for Gwilym not to think of anything else. He was thinking he was a fool, like a dumb teenager for declaring himself that way. However, he couldn't understand why Louisa had rejected him like that. It could have been worse, yes, she was very kind and respectable, but he was sure she might like him just the same. He felt it deep in his heart, but apparently Gwilym had been wrong, and he was feeling the consequence of the disappointment. Maybe it was fate confirming that it was really strange that he wanted to date the daughter of someone who had always been so generous to him but who had only recently known him, so a relationship with Louisa seemed to want to take advantage of Brian.

Still, their last conversation ended badly. Gwilym would no longer insist if that was what she wanted, all he wanted was to apologize to her, and humbly ask her for them to remain friends.

Afraid, he dialed Louisa's number. Called, called, called, until it fell into voicemail. In those few seconds that remained, he decided to leave a message.

"Hi, I'm sorry, for everything, for disturbing you, for embarrassing you, I didn't do it on purpose, Lou, I ... Just wanted to talk to you, just one more time, please ... Call me when you can ..."

And as soon as it was over, Gwilym ended up getting carried away by the crying.

Louisa saw his name on the phone screen and simply couldn't answer it, she didn't know how to face him, if he would be even more hurt if she told the truth that she loved him and didn't know if she could be with him with so much attention towards her. It was then that the call stopped, and she just heard the voice message.

It broke her heart, it was clear how unhappy she had made him, and it was just the opposite of what she wanted for Gwilym, she knew how much he deserved to be happy, even if he ended up with someone else. Who needed to apologize was her. She tried to consider what her mother said, that she shouldn't care about the outside, just the love they felt for each other, it was the only thing that mattered.

Thinking about all this, Louisa stood up, ready to resolve the situation at once.


	27. A spelling error

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before reading this chapter, it's very important to read the previous one, in case you didn't read. I uploaded the previous chapter on Wednesday as I always do, but I don't think everybody saw it, so I thought important to tell it to you guys;

Chrissie spent some time alone in the living room, respecting Louisa's privacy, but still worrying about her. After a long time, she hadn't left her bedroom, and her mother constantly wondered if it was better to go and see how she was doing. Chrissie knew it was a critical moment Lou was going through, no matter if she was an adult, she was a human being with real feelings, no matter how old she was.

Before Mrs. May up the stairs at once, Brian arrived, still very distressed, looking all over the place, surely looking for his daughter.

"Did you find something out? She's here?" he asked in a hurry.

"Yeah, Lou's here Bri, but it's something very personal for what she's going through." Chrissie considered telling her husband and then decided it was fair for him to know "she has had a disagreement with Gwilym and is very upset about it."

"But why would they fight if they were getting along so well?" Brian was confused, and even a little sad.

"They didn't fight at all, I understood," Chrissie clarified. "It's just that she's afraid of something, Brian, the same thing I've always been afraid of."

No more words were needed, and soon Brian understood what it was about. It was bad enough to see Chrissie bothered by it, and as their children grew up with this constant presence, she didn't want Louisa to go through it as an adult either.

Their conversation was interrupted by their daughter, who finally had the courage to go downstairs. Despite her sad countenance, she looked much better than she was when her mother found her.

"Louisa ..." her father called her, unable to say anything else, not wanting to embarrass her.

"Hi Daddy" she managed to smile "don't worry, I'm much better, Mom advised me, and I decided to follow what she said."

"Are you really going to do it, my dear?" Chrissie showed a hint of hope.

"Actually, I didn't have to make much effort ..." she confessed "Gwilym called me, begged me to agree to talk to him. And this is what I will do ..."

"Okay then, good luck, honey" Brian wished "I hope that all goes well ..."

"Thank you." The girl said goodbye to her parents and went to Gwilym's apartment.

She hurried up the elevator, biting her nails as she waited for the right floor. She rang the bell, sighing deeply. No one came to open the door, which made her desperate.

Meanwhile, Gwilym was trying to recover as best he could so that he could answer the door, washing hia face, and taking slow steps to have more time to compose himself. When he saw Louisa, all his effort was in vain, because he was shaken again.

"Hi, I ..." she tried "can I come in?"

"Of course you can." He pushed his way to her, who couldn't even sit up, being so nervously.

They stared at each other and looked away from each other for a while, unsure of what to say or where to start.

"Sorry ..." Louisa spoke in a squeaky and desperate voice "I was very foolish for the way I treated you, the problem is with me Gwilym, seriously ..."

"No, no," he managed to reply, "it's my fault, I was stupid because I didn't realize that ... You don't like me, at least not the way I like you, and I should have noticed it. I'm sorry for embarrassing you ..."

"You didn't embarrass me" Louisa denied everything he said "I embarrassed you, I made you sad, the thing is, Gwil, is that ... I like you too, I'm not sure yet, but I think I even love you, is that ... you ..."

"Me what Louisa?" Gwilym was afraid as she still tried to process that she loved him.

"You became famous, the target of so much attention and ..." she paused, taking a deep breath "my mother, me and my siblings had to deal with it, and it was never a good thing, I didn't want to go through it, I don't know if I would have the same resilience as my mother, but she herself told me that the most important thing about all this is that I want to be with you, I really want it, Gwilym."

And finishing talking, she began to cry, which made her beloved desperate. He had doubts about how he comforted her, if he hugged her or touched her face. He decided to lightly touch Louisa's shoulder, which made her look at him.

"I also want to be with you" he thought it best to say it first "and believe me, I'm not famous, I'm a TV actor who has made small appearances here and there, even smaller appearances in movies, many plays, although theater It's less popular these days, and Bo Rhap is the only big movie I've ever made, and even after that, you can still get out on the street without causing a commotion, believe me, I don't get attention like your Dad."

"That's the impression I get." Louisa was sincere.

"But believe me, Lou, it's not like that," he repeated, understanding her, having an idea, "would you ... Would you take a walk with me now?"

"Now?" Louisa was surprised.

"Now, right now," he smiled, which made her heart warm.

"I guess so, if you don't mind getting out with someone with a puffy crying face," she laughed, wiping her tears as best she could.

"You look beautiful anyway, if I may say so," Gwilym complimented, since she had made a joke.

"Thanks Gwil." Louisa gave him a grateful smile.

So she followed him wherever he would take her.

It was a path Louisa didn't know, but she was relieved to see where they had left off, a simple Starbucks. Beyond the coffee plan, she still didn't know what Gwilym wanted.

"Hi..." he pondered when it was his turn to be attended, she was still watching him "I want two simple with cream and sugar."

"Okay, and the names?" The attendant looked up from his notebook.

"Gwilym Lee and Louisa May," he said with some seriousness.<

 _"Who says your full name on Starbucks?"_ Louisa thought, wondering even more.

"Only the first name will do, sir," said the attendant, confirming Lou's theory.

He turned to handle the requests, and Louisa stared at Gwilym, confused. He didn't disguise a low chuckle. They sat waiting and knowing Miss. May, Lee soon deduced that she was super curious.

"Okay, you can ask why I brought you here," he proposed to her to guess.

"Of course it's for coffee, but there's something else involved, and I think I know what it is," she began to formulate an idea, "so I can see people's reaction to your name, my name."

"Exactly" Gwilym sighed, admiring her intelligence "I'm not that famous, this attention that the movie generated is good, for the recognition of my work, but I confess that scares me, I wonder if it is with me that all this is happening, but at the end of the day, I'm just me. And there's something else that helps you not to worry."

"What?" Louisa asked, forming a smile, convincing herself of his arguments.

"I played your father with huge curly hair and with no beard, so without that it's hard to recognize me as the actor who played Brian May," he argued, his expression emphasizing what he said.

Louisa just laughed and nodded, and her conversation was interrupted at that moment by the coffee cups. Her name was spelled correctly, since it was a common name and without a surname. Gwilym checked his cup, and laughed when he saw the marking: Will. He showed Louisa, who felt bad for laughing.

"I'm so famous that not even my name is spelled correctly." He shrugged.

"Looks like they thought your last name is Ym Lee," she answered. "I ... I understand what you did here, and ... Look, Gwil, I won't lie, I'm afraid of the future, what might happen, but ... I'm also sure how I feel about you, so if you are with me, I can handle it."

"Well then ..." it seemed that his strategy had worked, he had received confirmation of Louisa's feelings, and now, it all depended on him "will you be my girlfriend, Lou?"

"I will," she sighed, lifting a weight off her back. "Will!"

They laughed together, and as much as Gwilym wanted to kiss her, he decided to wait a little longer, not wanting to draw attention.

"Would this be our first date?" she asked, taking another sip of coffee.

"Well, it was kind of improvised, but I think so, but let's have a more appropriate one, what do you think?" he suggested.

"I think it's wonderful, Gwil." Louisa nodded and smiled at him.

Gwilym always bothered when someone spelled his name wrong, but this time he was grateful that that mistake had provided something as wonderful as Louisa May being his girlfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So our beloved couple is together at last! What did you guys think? Thanks for reading


	28. Asking for Permission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't read chapters 26 and 27, don't go ahead, read them first. There was a mistake of my part last week so not most of you had seen the previous updates. I'm sorry for that, and now that I had figured out what I have done, I won't repeat the same mistake again. Sorry and thank you for understanding.

Gwilym and Louisa then finished their coffee, but before he left, in a hurry, even to do something very important, an idea crossed his mind. Picking up his cell phone, he took a picture of his coffee cup, focusing on his misspelled name.

"Gwilym, what are you doing?" Louisa found it a little strange behavior of her boyfriend, but finding it fun.

"Oh just recording the moment, so I don't forget it" he smiled in response "I thought it would be strange to keep the cup."

"Strange but cute," she sighed.

Gwilym thought a little better and then took the cup, stuffing it into his coat pocket and finally taking it with him.

"Come on, we have to go." He stood up, hurrying and excited.

"Where are we going now?" she wanted to know.

"Doing everything as it has to be done," Gwilym nodded, a little more seriously, "I want to talk to your father right now, is he and your mother home now?"

"I didn't tell you, but I came straight from their house to talk to you, so they must be waiting for me yet," Louisa warned and only then did they leave Starbucks.

Gwilym offered her a hand, which Louisa accepted with a smile, taking his hand slowly and holding it firmly, as if getting used to it, something she would do many times from now on. He led her around the corner, hoping to get a cab, waving one of the cars to a stop. They entered and Gwilym asked the taxi driver to go to the Mays' house as soon as possible.

"Nothing serious is happening, isn't it, sir?" asked the taxi driver, concerned and curious.

"Oh no, it's a very good thing, I just need to ask the permission of this beautiful girl's parents to make her officially my girlfriend," Gwilym explained enthusiastically.

"Well, that's ... Different" commented the taxi driver, who was a little younger than the two sweethearts "you are adults, you don't need this ..."

"But I make a point of doing that," Gwilym made clear, but still friendly.

"I prefer that way too" Louisa opined and thus closed the subject.

Gwilym didn't mind being called old-fashioned, after all he'd been through to that moment, he knew it was the right thing to do, let Brian and Chrissie know how much he loved their daughter and was willing to take care of her.

Following what Gwilym recommended, the taxi driver arrived at the Mays' house quickly, and both Gwil and Lou were in the same hurry to talk to her parents. She, in turn, wanted to keep them calm, as long as everything had gone well.

Still holding Louisa's hand, Gwilym rang the bell, and sooner Chrissie came to answer it.

"Hi, my dears," said Mrs. May in a sigh of relief "come in, please."

Gwilym thanked her and Louisa smiled at her mother, who already had an idea of why he had come along with her daughter. They sat in the living room and Chrissie rushed to call Brian, who soon accompanied his wife.

"Gwilym, good to see you again," Dr. May shook his hand, "not wanting to be rude, but we already have an idea what you're going to talk to us about, but we're all ears, right, Chrissie?"

"Yes, yes" Mrs. May gave an excited smile.

"Okay then," Gwilym cleared his throat, and sighed. "I first want to thank you for always welcoming me so well into your home and your life, and that's why it's with all due respect that I ask you to understand that I ... I fell in love with Louisa and I truly love her with all my heart. I know it sounds weird, we met each other in an unusual way and many may think I'm trying to take advantage of you, but I'm not. My intentions with Louisa are the best possible and true. We already talked and we agreed, she agreed to be my girlfriend, but I will only be calm if you give me your permission to date her."

"Oh Gwilym, you didn't have to do all that formality, but just choosing to talk to us that way already says a lot about who you are." Brian looked straight into the younger man's eyes. "You have my approval, my consent, and my permission." .

"You moved me with your words, and I felt your sincerity in each of them" Chrissie said, while wiping some tears "I'm sure you will take good care of my Lou, of course you can date her, since she already accepted it."

Brian laughed with joy and hugged his son-in-law, as did Chrissie, welcoming him with open arms.

"So it's officially official now." Louisa gave a huge smile, feeling her heart race and her parents' gaze on them, which gave her an idea. "Come with me."

"Okay," Gwilym replied, curious to understand what his girlfriend was doing.

Louisa led him into the back garden of the house, so beautiful and well-kept, the proud and joy of Brian and Jimmy. Gwilym barely appreciated the beauty of the place, just focused on his beloved in front of him.

She touched his face, watching him for a few seconds. His similarities to her father were no longer so glaring. Gwilym had a thinner chin than Brian, who had a square chin. Brian always shaved while Gwilym let his beard grow. His cheeks were thinner than the guitarist's, his eyes were bluer and bigger, his nose a little more delicate, and his hair was definitely different, straight, light brown, combed sideways, nothing to do with the curly hair, from Louisa's father.

"What do I do now?" he asked softly, doubtfully, "because there's something I really wanted to do, and I think I can do it now, because your parents let us date."

"Go ahead," Louisa answered softly, surrendering, knowing what her boyfriend was talking about.

Gwilym then kissed her, carefully, but also with affection, touching her face, while Louisa reciprocated, not wanting to leave, regretting being so stubborn and having postponed that moment so much. But waiting had been necessary so that they were completely sure what they wanted, and by that kiss, all the waiting had been worth it.

Chrissie glanced around the kitchen and saw the two in love, which made her sigh. Not even her reaction made them part so soon.

"Chrissie, leave them!" Brian scolded his wife softly, laughing to find her like that.

"I'm just admiring," she whispered back. "It's too beautiful!"

"I know" Brian nodded "she managed to solve everything, my love, as I said, I'm sure Lou found the love of her life."

"Sooner or later everyone finds it, doesn't it?" Chrissie approached her husband "the same thing happened to us, and now to Lou."

"That's true, my darling, that's true," Brian agreed, kissing his wife's cheek, that kiss breaking the other kiss.

Gwilym looked at Louisa and then at her parents, blushing completely even to her ears.

"I'm sorry ..." he murmured uncertainly.

"Sorry, Gwil, it wasn't our intention," Chrissie replied, also embarrassed.

Louisa and Brian laughed together, he went back into the house with his wife while she kissed her boyfriend again. Yes, Louisa May had a boyfriend, someone she met in such an unusual way, but who was destined to be part of her life, just as she was supposed to be part of Gwilym Lee's story. Together they would build their own story.


	29. A new identity

Chrissie ended up offering tea to her daughter's boyfriend, and Gwilym, as polite as ever, didn't refuse. In addition to politeness, he agreed to stay a little longer at the Mays' house to spend more time with Louisa. He thought it best to go home, it was nightfall, but he had something else to say to her parents before.

"Thank you so much for allowing me to stay with your precious daughter," he said solemnly, wholeheartedly, which eventually moved the three Mays.

"Wow Gwilym, you make me so embarrassed talking like that" Louisa smiled at her boyfriend "but you are all that to me too."

Without shame, he kissed her without hesitation, grateful for her love. So they said goodbye, returning each to their home.

It was amazing how well it had turned out, after having a moment of tension, apprehension and uncertainty. But now, all the hearts of Gwilym and Louisa felt were love, relief, an immense joy at finally being together.

This is a joy that other friends of theirs would also share knowing the news. It was with this in mind that Gwil ran to his cell phone, sending a single message to the chat group that he, Rami, Joe and Ben were part of.

_"Guys, Lou and I are together!"_

The reaction was immediate, generating instant messages from all three.

**BEN**   
_"Really? Ah Gwil that's wonderful!"_

**RAMI**   
_"Really? I'm so glad you could talk to her!"_

**JOE**   
_"Oh my God, I can't believe it! What do you mean? Explain better, please!"_

Gwilym laughed at all the excitement.

**GWILYM**   
_"We had a very frank conversation, exposed our feelings for each other and I found out that she liked me too. She accepted me and Bri and Mrs. May as well."_

**JOE**   
_Ah, but does the rest of the family already know too?_

**GWILYM**   
_No, not yet, I needed to notify my family too_

**BEN**   
_Did you tell us first? Wow, that means we're important._

**GWILYM**   
_Of course you are, we are a band, have you forgotten?_

**RAMI**   
_No, but now go tell your family_

**GWILYM**   
_Yes sir_

So Gwilym really realized that it was important to tell his family, but the boys had been following their trajectory so far and were expecting to know what would happen. In the case of the family, he knew that Louisa would ask for time to prepare and get to meet them in a more formal and organized way. So he decided to talk to Lou before telling the Lees the big news.

Still excited, Gwilym had another idea, eventually posting on Instagram the photo of the coffee cup written Will. It was a way of signaling the wonder that had happened, not mentioning too many details.

Meanwhile, Louisa didn't know how to handle her current situation. It was wonderful to have a boyfriend, someone she loved, who would always be on her side, who understood her even though she was, and yet the feeling was weird. She didn't know how to behave or what to do, just felt happy and eager to tell someone the big news.

Usually, in such situations, she would turn to her mother, or even the almost always infallible Grandma Maggie, yet Chrissie already knew everything and maybe her grandmother would be too frightened by the news and Louisa herself wanted to be more used to her new status before telling her grandma. It was then that she remembered another special person.

Louisa knew how much Emily cared about her, even in a way that seemed contrary to expectations, the younger sister taking care of her older sister. Thinking how happy Mi would be to know that his sister now had a boyfriend, Lou gave in to her wish to call her sister.

"Louisa? What do I owe this rarity to?" Emily's excited voice said from the other end of the line.

"Oh stop it, don't be dramatic, I call you whenever I can" Louisa pretended to be angry "but leaving the jokes aside, I ... wanted to tell you something, Mily, an important thing, but that is one very good thing, I'm sure you will like it."

"Then just tell me what it is, Lou." Emily was willing to listen to her sister, glad she was being so open.

"You know Gwilym and I ... we ..." Louisa sighed and laughed at her own embarrassment "we got closer because of the movie, we became friends, right?"

"Yes, I know." Emily already had a sense of where that conversation would end.

"He talked to me today, Em, he said he loves me and I ..." the older one gave another sigh "I love him too and ... we're dating, that's what I had to tell."

"Is this serious? My God in heaven, congratulations, Louisa!" the youngest celebrated "I kind of expected it, I felt a spark between the two of you, I was just waiting for something to happen."

"Well, Emily, it happened and ... how did such a wonderful thing happen to me?" Louisa opened herself a little wider, her eyes watery.

"Because you're wonderful, too, and it was something that had to happen, like God or fate bringing Gwilym into your life," the younger one answered softly, understanding her sister's insecurities very well.

"Thanks Em, it was nice talking to you." Louisa smiled, deciding to hang up, glad Emily had heard her.

It wasn't long before Louisa and Gwilym met again, of course they still had their other commitments, like work. He was preparing for some new auditions for different roles, deciding with his manager what to do next, since she had returned to her classes and her students.

After she had scolded the class for commenting that she was Brian May's daughter, the students' conversations about Queen and the movie "Bohemian Rhapsody" slowed, and because of that, Louisa was glad not to have to explain that now she was dating one of the movie's actors for now, she didn't have to worry about that. But the thought came to mind, just as Louisa found him on the way out, as smiling as ever, just waiting for her.

"Hi, what are you doing here?" she said, completely delighted and surprised.

"I came to see you and give you a lift home," Gwilym answered promptly. "It's not because we're dating that I'll stop giving you a lift now, that I have to give you a lift."

"Sure, true." Louisa ended up laughing, catching the eye of Gwil's gaze on her.

When she looked at him again, she knew what he was up to. She lifted her head a little more to kiss him, but a very quick kiss.

"I should think you would be embarrassed here in front of everyone from your work, sorry," he soon realized what embarrassed her and tried to apologize.

"No, Gwilym, it's ok, that's not it, it's just ..." Louisa curled up, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear nervously "yeah, I'm ashamed, and afraid someone will recognize you, but I'm also getting used to having a boyfriend, no offense."

"Oh okay, I understand you, my love" Gwilym gave a warm smile that made Louisa melt.

"What did you call me?" She was amazed, thrilled, embarrassed.

"My love, because that's what you are." Gwilym added a kiss on her cheek to emphasize everything she said.

"Are you really real?" Louisa replied, shaking her head "because you're more like a fairytale prince, and to my knowledge fairy tales aren't real."

"Well, we're more like an unlikely story, but I'll consider the "prince" as a compliment" he ended up laughing too.

Louisa would be there forever, just admiring her beloved if they weren't interrupted by her cell phone.

"It's my mother," she warned Gwil before answering. "Hi, Mom, I just left."

"Hi Lou, I'm calling to see how you are doing," Chrissie said, kind and concerned as usual.

"I'm fine, Mom, very good indeed, better now because Gwilym came to pick me up," she said excitedly.

"Really? How nice! I really wanted to talk to both of you" Mrs. May spoke, piquing her daughter's interest "put on speaker Lou, please."

The daughter obeyed, Gwilym understood immediately and the two paid attention.

"So, my dears, Brian and I were talking here and if you don't mind, I would like to invite you to dinner with us tonight, the whole family will come" Chrissie made the invitation, with all the details of the plan.

"It will be a pleasure, Mrs. May, for me, I will go, but Lou ... You will go, won't you, Lou?" He wanted to make sure.

"I will, we will, mother," she confirmed. "so we'll meet later, bye, Mom, I love you".

"Bye, Mrs. May" Gwilym said goodbye.

"Bye and see you later, my darlings." Chrissie hung up.

"I knew she was going to do that," Louisa confessed, blurting out her thoughts.

"What do you mean, Lou?" Gwil was curious.

"Mom was going to make a fuss because now I have a boyfriend, we will have to tell everyone tonight, without delay, that we are together and well ... well, it's not easy" she shrugged to shake off the nervousness.

"I know what you're talking about, I felt that way when I went to dinner with your family for the first time." Gwilym put a hand on hod chin thoughtfully. "If we need to tell your family about us tonight, there's no problem, I'll be there to help you."

"Oh, I don't even know how I thank you for understanding me," Louisa sighed. "Thank you, Gwilym."

"You're welcome, my love," he smiled, making her glad to see that same smile again.

So Gwilym drove Louisa home, excited to see her again later, even with a complicated mission ahead.


	30. Revealing a secret

Gwilym left home at 6:40 pm, hoping not to be late to go to his in-laws' house, not to mention that he would first pick up Louisa and they would arrive together for the dinner Chrissie had invited and arranged for them.

It was unclear whether Mrs. May wanted with that dinner was to tell the family that Gwilym and Louisa were dating, but he preferred to rely on his girlfriend's intuition and believe it was just that. That's why Gwil decided to go with a formal look, even wearing a suit and tie.

Before ringing the bell in Louisa's apartment, Gwilym smoothed his tie again, concerned that he should looked flawless. But she was finishing getting ready, but only wearing her neat clothes from every day. Hearing the bell, Louisa ran to answer it, figuring it was her boyfriend.

When she opened the door, she greeted him with a smile, but then was startled, yet she didn't forget to give him a quick kiss.

"Gwilym, where do you think you're going?" Louisa asked, trying not to be rude.

"What is it? I exaggerated, didn't I?" He frowned in frustration. "It's just, I thought since you said your mom probably expects us to tell everyone about us, I thought I'd dress for the occasion more formally."

"Yeah, I know but ..." She laughed, but then looked down "we are too mismatched, I'll have to change."

"No, no, Lou, I didn't mean to bother you, you don't need that," he said flusteredly, gesturing as he spoke. "If I want to, I take off my tie and leave my jacket in the car."

"No, really, no need" Louisa sighed and approached, looking into his eyes "I understand your reasons for dressing well and I think it's beautiful that you see our news this way, as I said earlier, I'm still getting used with this dating thing, so I think I better change, really, I won't be long, I promise."

"Fine, if it's okay with you," Gwilym made a point of saying.

"Yes," she answered and returned to her room, staring at the open wardrobe.

Louisa had very few formal clothes, as she hardly left the house, but came across something that would do for the ocasion. Emily had helped her choose that dress a while ago, it was cream colored, with the delicate short sleeves, the skirt going up to two feet below the knee, so Louisa decided to dress it.

So she ran into the room, announcing that now they could go. Gwilym just smiled, then holding her hand, walking together to the exit. He opened the car door for her to get in and he took his seat, driving to the Mays' house.

Meanwhile, the other family members had already arrived. Isaac and her parents, Emily and Justin, her husband, waiting for Louisa.

"Looks like Lou is late again," Emily said with a giggle.

"This time she had a good reason for that," Brian commented, which left the rest of the family in alert, except his youngest daughter and his wife.

"What do you mean, Uncle Brian?" Rory asked, already getting a little impatient.

"I think you'll know when Lou arrives," Emily replied.

"You're keeping a secret from us, aren't you, Em?" Jimmy declared, arms crossed.

"Well, I don't even know what it can be," Justin confessed, "why didn't you tell me, Emily?"

"I didn't think I could tell you," she said, "but you'll be very happy when you find out what it is."

"Really, because I'm running out of patience for so much mystery," Isaac surrendered, very impatient.

It was then that Gwilym and Louisa arrived, relieving the anxiety of those present. They greeted everyone, but Brian made sure to introduce Justin to Gwilym.

"This is Justin Alford, my dear son-in-law, Emily's husband," said Dr. May. "And Justin, this is Gwilym Lee, whom you must know from the movie."

"Oh of course!" Justin replied shaking hands with Gwilym "finally we met, congratulations on the movie, it's amazing how caught all gestures from my father in law."

"Oh thanks, Justin." Gwil smiled, grateful not only for the compliments, but for he not being surprised by his resemblance to Brian May at all.

"Glad you invited Gwilym to come, Lou, we haven't seen him in a while," Jimmy praised his sister's action.

"Actually, Jim, there's one more reason Gwilym came with me." Louisa was strangely embarrassed, and her mother gave her a comforting smile, which was also a sign for them to tell.

"Do you want me to tell them?" Gwil offered.

"Yes, please," she sighed.

"Well, Jimmy, Justin," he thought it best to address the other men in the family, thinking he needed their approval as well "with permission from Brian and Mrs. May, Louisa and I are dating."

The news startled the family, but in a positive way. Emily, Justin and Rory hugged them, congratulating them.

"You mean I can call you Uncle Gwil now?" Isaac asked, joking a little, but pleased for his aunt.

"If you want, yes, Isaac." Gwilym smiled at him.

"Well, Gwilym," Jimmy addressed him in a seriousness that scared him."I know my sister very well, and I know her feelings for you are real, take care of her, please, with all the love I know you have for her, because her little heart has been hurt several times, and she deserves to have the best boyfriend she can have, which I'm sure you can be."

"Thank you James, I promise to honor with all my heart everything you asked of me." Gwilym shook his hand sealing a deal. "I love your sister very much."

"I know." Jimmy smiled, destroying all the heavy seriousness.

Gwilym wasn't sad or scared at Jimmy's way of speaking, since he understood that this was all the love and concern of an older brother.

"Well, now that we are all aware of the news, let's have some dinner children!" Chrissie invited them excited, making the family laugh and making her happy.

After dinner, Louisa and Gwilym managed to have a little moment alone while the rest of the family still chatted together in the dining room.

"Well, now it's official," Louisa sighed, her head against Gwilym's chest as they were snuggled up on the couch. "Do we need to tell anyone else?"

"Well, I hope you don't mind, but I told the boys as soon as I got home the day I asked you to date me," Gwil said with a smile on his lips.

"Oh no problem, that's okay, they must have been happy, especially Joe" Louisa laughed softly "I could see him staring at us."

"No, honey, Joe said he felt a spark between the two of us since the first day you visited the set," he confessed.

"Well, we didn't know that at the time," Louisa mused, tapping her fingers absently on Gwilym's knee. "But he was right."

"He was," he murmured, watching his Lou's face so closely, then covering her lips with his in a relatively quick kiss, since anyone could appear at any moment.

After they parted, Gwil started laughing, which made Lou frown.

"What is it now?" she demanded.

"I remembered something hilarious about Joe that I need to show you," he said as he held his laughter, searching for his cell phone in his pocket.

He quickly searched and found the photo he wanted to show. It was him, Rami, Joe, and cardboard Ben replicating the picture Queen took in Japan on their first visit to the country.

"Oh my God, did you want to show me Cardboard Ben?" Louisa laughed without restrictions "I died laughing watching his Instagram videos, the one in the car he's wearing the scarf, the one Joe calls Ben and holds the cardboard and even mimics his voice, the one with the suitcase too ..."

"So you already knew," Gwilym commented.

Louisa just nodded as she continued to laugh some more. An idea flashed through Gwilym's mind, cell phone in hand, enjoying the perfect moment of his laughing girlfriend as he watched and admired her in that state of joy. Seeing Louisa smiling and laughing gave Gwilym the reasons to do the same.


	31. Social Media

Like all the news in the world, time was essencial for Louisa to get used to having a boyfriend. Gwilym's love, kindness, and dedication to her made it easier to adapt.

She was glad he understood that they needed to be discreet, so when he came to pick her up from school a few times, when she left work for lunch together, Gwilym camouflaged himself in the crowd, not caring to call attention or show everyone that he was there and, as he had proved to Louisa the day they started dating, he didn't cause any commotion by being there. However, she had come to see him talking to some students who had recognized him, Gwil had been polite and considerate of them, but seeing it from afar caused a curious and different feeling in Louisa.

She expected this would happen sooner or later, but as her mother had once said, that attention wasn't for her, it was a recognition of her beloved's talent and efforts, and she should be glad for it. And that was how Louisa felt, happy for the recognition, surprised that she had come across something she had waited for, and best of all, not being as bothered by it as she thought she would be.

Another thing that surprised her was seeing a Gwilym's Instagram post, she hadn't realized that he had taken a picture of her while laughing at Joe's cardboard madness, and now her boyfriend had put the caption "your smile makes me smile". Louisa ended up smiling at the sentence, getting thrilled and grateful for that little surprise. Not knowing what words to use to answer, she appealed to a unfailing emoji, a heart. So she put away her cell phone, unaware of what that little interaction had generated.

A little more attentive to social media than his girlfriend, Gwilym was bombarded by hundreds of comments from his followers, questioning who that beautiful-smiling girl was. He was a little embarrassed, he didn't expect a simple post to do all that, but in the end, that's exactly how social media worked.

Gwilym knew that Queen fans following him recognized Louisa, so he had no choice but to tell the truth. He edited the caption of the same photo, adding "yes, guys, this is my girlfriend @lou_may". As soon as he posted, he felt that another tsunami of comments would emerge, and besides, he worried about how Louisa would react to all that.

He later met her in her apartment, as they had agreed.

"Gwilym!" Louisa received him with a kiss and a hug "come, come in."

He smiled at her excitement, following her right away. When Louisa looked back at her boyfriend, she noticed the apprehension on his face.

"Has something happened, Gwil?" she soon asked, to know how to help him.

"Oh nothing, just one thing I was thinking, I don't know if I thought it wrong to think so, but I think we'd better talk about it." Gwilym used his justifications while scratching his head.

"I think you should tell me what it is," she crossed her arms, somewhat suspiciously but kindly speaking.

"Hum Lou? Did you check Instagram?" he asked casually, which made Louisa think he was changing the subject.

"Oh I saw it, I loved the picture you posted, really" she ended up smiling "is that what you're worried about?"

"Well, is that the photo ..." he laughed embarrassed "you know, I posted it as everyone puts things on Instagram, but many people commented asking me who you were or if you were my girlfriend."

"And I imagine you answered them" Louisa then understood her boyfriend's despair "you are afraid of how I would react ... Ah Gwilym ..."

She gave him a sudden hug, which surprised him, and made him reciprocate, the contact warming their hearts.

"Aren't you mad? You didn't find it bad?" Gwilym made a point of asking.

"No, it's ok, really" she said for sure "one time or another everyone would find out, so it's ok."

"Oh good" he felt the huge weight off his back "I was really afraid of you feeling bad about it."

"No, no," Louisa denied, "you know what? All this has been ... Easier than I thought, it seems ... Not comparing my father to you, but when I was a child it was worse, and now it doesn't bother that much."

"Maybe because your father is more famous than me." Gwilym was sincere.

"It may be, I don't know, I just think that's why" Louisa nodded thoughtfully "but anyway, my dear Gwilym, since we solved that, how about we watch "Downton Abbey" today?"

"Great!" Gwilym gave her a beautiful, wide smile, "I promised Allen to watch it."

"You mean you never watched?" Even testing for the show?" Louisa was curious.

"Well, then I concentrated on other things, getting a job, and I didn't see it." Gwilym shrugged.

"I see," she nodded. "The advantage for me is that I can take it all back."

A little while later, they sat in front of the TV, not long before Louisa leaned her head on Gwilym's chest and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. They listened for the first four episodes until Louisa's cell phone interrupted them with the incessant sound of Instagram notifications.

She got up to see what it was all about, Gwilym watched her for a moment, worried but not getting up, and continued to watch. Louisa was startled, there were many unknown people wanting to talk to her and some of her followers congratulating her. Being bombarded by it all made her a little dizzy, but she took a deep breath, knowing that this was how her social media would be going forward. Even ignoring the feeling of amazement, it brought back painful memories.

Taking another sigh, she returned to her seat beside Gwilym. They were silent for a while, still watching, but he felt his girlfriend tense, apprehensive about something.

"Lou, what is it?" he asked without hesitation, showing that he was willing to help her.

"Nothing, just a lot of notifications," she answered, but decided to tell more about what she was feeling. "People want to talk to me because I'm your girlfriend and ..."

"You can tell me," he encouraged her to continue.

"It reminded me once that ..." Louisa sighed, avoiding the look of her boyfriend, but seeking comfort in his arms "well, my father had the idea to take me and Emily to the mall, he said that was a long time he didn't spend some time with his daughters, that he wanted to have a special time with us. Everything went well when we arrived, Dad parked, Emily took my hand, she was about four years old. We went straight to the ice cream shop, then my dad promised we were going to play at the arcade, but then ... Oh ... We were just eating ice cream, laughing, talking, when about 10 or 15 people broke into the place, crazy to get talk to my dad, without considering he was there with his daughters ... Emily's frightened face, I can't forget. I was so scared myself, I only had time to look at my father very quickly, for him to understand that I wanted to get out of there, but he was also as scared as I was, I just took Emily on my lap and ran away ..."

Louisa ended up crying and Gwilym snuggled her closer to him, kissing her cheek.

"I'm sorry about that ..." he said softly "I wonder how scared you were... And that's not all you went through, was it?"

"No, there were more things," Louisa said, wiping her tears, "but that hurts a lot ... That's why I was so reluctant, with Queen, with the movie, but you know, Gwilym?"

"Hmm?" He gave a smile of relief, since now she was looking at him.

"The movie helped me deal with that," she said. "Reminding me of how much I love Dad and Uncles' songs and even the fame I always thought was bad brought me a good thing."

"What?" He was curious, but Louisa only answered with a smile first, which already left him reassured about her condition.

"Just think with me," she proposed, "if one day my father and my uncles gave up their dream of being musicians, they wouldn't know each other and Queen would never exist."

"It would be a pity," Gwilym commented, drawing another smile from his girlfriend.

"I agree, I think I wouldn't have been born if they gave up their dream" Louisa found, perplexed "remember the story of my mother telling when she met my father, right? But anyway, what I mean is, if Queen wasn't famous, they'd never think of making a movie about them and I'd never have met you ... Isn't that crazy?"

"I think God works in mysterious ways," he said thoughtfully, "but I'm so grateful to have met you even though it was on the set of a movie where I was playing your father."

"Oh, don't even tell me!" Louisa laughed "but you're right, here we are now..."

"I love you, Louisa May ..." Gwilym sighed, completely surrendered, after watching his girlfriend so close to him.

"I love you too, Gwilym," she answered, saying his name completely charmed.

She rushed to kiss him, their lips meeting almost simultaneously. Soon after, she started to laugh, which made her boyfriend look at her with a face of amazement.

"One more thing" Louisa soon said to clarify "promise me that you will never do a permanent?"

"I promise," he said solemnly, but then laughed, "I could never steal your father's hairstyle and only Joe can be the perm guy in the gang."

Louisa laughed in response, which made Gwilym laugh a little with her. The burdens of her past sometimes surfaced, but he was there to make sure she didn't have to take them alone.


	32. Planning a different class

Being Gwilym's girlfriend had changed many things in Louisa's life. That old feeling of emptiness and loneliness, that she was unlikely to find a boyfriend who liked her exactly as she was, was gone. Her boyfriend was sweet, kind, caring, and even his slightly silly and clumsy way that sometimes appeared made Louisa fall in love with him even more.

It was all this thinking that she was driven to make an Instagram post, looking for the most suitable photo of Gwilym she had on her phone. A week ago they had gone to visit Louisa's parents, and when Gwil was talking to Brian, he looked so comfortable and cheerful that his girlfriend had to capture the moment.

"Hey, did you get my hobby?" Brian laughed, realizing what his daughter had done, but Gwilym was confused.

"Oh it's not just me who has this hobby" Louisa gave a playful smile "Gwil also took a picture of me without warning me."

"So that was revenge, my love?" her boyfriend joked "don't be so, if you want I pose for a photo.!

And in that Gwilym was already standing and smiling, another undeniable opportunity to take a picture of him and that's what Louisa did. It was precisely this photo she chose, stopping for a moment to think about the caption.

"I don't even know what to say, just that you're the best boyfriend I could ever have. I'm very happy to have you in my life and I love you so much @gwilymlee."

She then wrote, starting a little uncertain but getting carried away by her feelings. When the wave of notifications began, she just decided to ignore it. Thus, Louisa continued her routine, now more adjusted to her relationship, also focused on her work.

That morning, Louisa explained about the reign of Elizabeth I, and although her students were paying atention in the class, at least most of them, she sensed a restless agitation between them. Fortunately, nothing out of the ordinary happened until the end of class, but before everyone left, Rebecca was once again the heroine who represented everyone.

"Ms. May, I wanted to tell you something, but also to ask you something else" the girl began uncertainly.

"Okay, Rebecca." Louisa gave her a reassuring smile, making it clear that she wouldn't be mad at her, regardless of the question.

"It's that we saw your post on IG and ..." the student sighed "are you really dating Gwilym Lee? The same Gwilym Lee from the movie ... You know.!

"Yeah, I know, you must be thinking this is very weird" the teacher smiled and turned to the rest of the class "but it's true, Gwilym and I are dating."

"Really, miss?" Rebecca got a little excited, excited "he seems to be such a nice guy, I'm happy for you, really ..."

"Happy or jealous?" Another student countered.

"Girls please, don't talk like that." Louisa handled it maturely, but blushed a little.

"Could we meet him if it's not askig for too much?" Another of the girls asked "introduce him to us, Miss. May, please."

And suddenly that idea was supported by the whole class, in a roar of shouts and exaggerated pleas. Despite the mess, Louisa knew it wasn't out of malicious interest that her students were doing it. Of course, those who had become fans of the movie would like to meet the actor they admired so much, but also part of that was joy that their dear teacher had found someone special.

"Calm down, calm down, guys!" Louisa asked, trying to project her voice above the noise "I need to see what Gwilym thinks of the idea and then see with the headmistress if he could come here, even if it's quick, okay?"

"Yes!" answered the students, with more words of thanks and excitement.

That was how the history class ended that day, and Louisa ended up smiling at the excitement of her students. She realized that this phenomenon wasn't a bad thing that fame generated, she wasn't uncomfortable with it. Outside, she laughed when she met her boyfriend, and of course once again Gwilym stared at her, confused.

"What's so funny?" he asked innocently.

"Oh ..." Louisa made a suspense on purpose "you!"

And then she kissed him quickly.

"Oh no, Lou, tell me what it was," Gwilym appealed to a pitiful face.

"Okay, is that ..." before saying she took his hand, walking together to his car "my students want to meet you."

"Really? Wow, it's ... Well ..." Gwilym was taken by surprise "I didn't expect that ..."

"Well, you know, when I found out that my students became fans of the movie and yours, it scared me a little," Louisa confessed, "but now I got used to the idea."

"Right and ..." He cleared his throat a little uncertainly. "What did you answer them for?"

"I said I was going to ask you what you think of the idea," Louisa clarified. "So, Gwil, what do you think?"

"Well, I think it's fine with me, really," he decided after considering the possibility, "only if it's okay with you."

"Yes, I did agree with them," she said, "but you know what other impression I have about that?"

"What?" Gwilym was curious.

"That they want to interview my boyfriend to make sure he's a decent guy." Louisa gave a suggestive smile. "Not that he isn't, because he's wonderful, but you know, my students are overprotective with me."

"I understand them, their teacher is also wonderful" Gwilym smirked, which made Louisa smile too.

So they had agreed that Gwilym would pay a special visit to the class, but there was still one thing to settle. Louisa couldn't just bring someone out of school to chat randomly with her students, wasting class time. She would have to think of a plausible reason to bring Gwilym to her class, which was when Louisa had a good idea, which she soon told her boyfriend when they met again.

"Gwilym, there's something I need to talk to you about visiting my students," she started the subject.

"Fine, just tell me," he was attentive.

"You know I couldn't bring you yo my class just to talk to my students, so I'll have to ask you to do something, please," Louisa said with a little fear.

"Just tell me, honey, there's no problem." He smiled reassuringly.

"We are studying about Queen Elizabeth and I thought it would be nice for you to talk to a little about Shakespeare and then make room for you to talk to the kids" she told him her plans "what do you think about that? It's not too much to ask or ... I don't know ..."

"Shakespeare? It will be great I have to talk about Shakespeare!" Gwilym was immediately excited "you know how much I like him!"

"That's why I had the idea, I'm glad you liked it," Louisa sighed with relief. "I just need to talk to Mrs. Keylan and let you know when it will be the day of the visit."

"Okay, so I'll wait," Gwilym finally agreed.

The next day, Louisa starred at the office of the headmistress, taking courage to talk to Mrs. Keylan, the headmistress of Oaks Middle. She wasn't a completely harsh woman, but the history teacher was afraid of what she would think of her idea.

"Ms. May, what a surprise to see you here" said the headmistress when meeting Louisa "you almost never come to talk to me, I hope it's not because of some problem."

"Oh no, ma'am, there's no problem" the teacher smiled embarrassed "is that I would like to know your opinion about an idea I had for my next classes."

"What's it about, Miss. May?" The headmistress went straight to the point.

"Well, following the schedule of the school curriculum in History, we are studying the Elizabethan era and next week we will study about Shakespeare and I ..." Louisa felt a little ashamed, but continued "my boyfriend is an actor and a graduate in Literature, I thought on invite him to talk a little about Shakespeare to the students."

"Of course, you can invite him yes, I see no problem in that, but ..." Mrs. Keylan narrated her eyes "sorry for the indiscretion, but I didn't know you had a boyfriend."

"Oh we have been dating for a short time" Louisa tried to justify herself as discreetly as possible "anyway, ma'am, thank you for approving my suggestion."

"Yeah, that's fine," the headmistress nodded, and Louisa took advantage of her queue, sighing with relief as she left the office.

When Gwilym came to pick her up at the end of class, she said everything was ready to welcome him to her class next week.

"And what exactly do you want me to say?" He asked his girlfriend for instructions.

"Well, just talk about Shakespeare's work itself, who he was as an artist and ..." Louisa thought a little more "because you like him so much, this will help the children to identify and humanize Shakespeare."

"And I can leave all historical context with you," Gwilym concluded the plan.

"Yes, that's it" she nodded "don't worry, my love, it's going to be all right, I think being used to interviews helps, doesn't it?"

"Oh yeah, for sure" he agreed "I'll prepare myself to make everything perfect."

"I know you're going, Gwil, but you want to know?" Louisa commented "they will want to ask more about the movie and about us."

"And what do I do when this happens?" He was worried "I don't want you to feel embarrassed."

"No, just be careful and discreet," the girlfriend recommended more relaxed.

So they planned the last details of Gwilym's special visit and presentation to Louisa's class.


	33. A class about Shakespeare

Gwilym woke up earlier than usual, preparing for his big mission of the day. At first, the thought of meeting Louisa's students startled him, not imagining that teenagers would be interested in him and his work, but the whole repercussion of Bohemian Rhapsody had made many young fans of him and his castmates, but Gwilym never had associated that this phenomenon would come to his girlfriend's classroom. After every tour to publicize the movie, he was already more used to fans and that was why he was more comfortable about meeting Louisa's students. Still, there's was the whole point that they were protective of their teacher, which was why he was also willing to show all his effort to be a good boyfriend to Louisa.

Giving a smile of relief and pure charm, Gwilym rang the bell of his girlfriend's apartment, eager to see her again.

"Good morning, my love!" Louisa came to greet him "how are you?"

"Good morning to you too, Lou," he said and kissed her. "I'm fine, a little worried, but I think I'm ready for my big performance."

"Calm down, Gwilym, they're sweethearts, really, trust me, I know them all very well," Louisa complimented her students.

"Okau," Gwilym agreed and they went down the elevator.

In the parking lot, Louisa took her seat in the car and Gwilym drove to Oaks Middle. It was inevitable that people would look at both of them when they entered school together. Luckily, no one recognized him as a famous actor, who was watching them was doing it more out of curiosity, because he was a different person who was visiting the school for the first time. Besides, it was odd that he was just following Louisa.

"Where do we go first?" Gwilym asked for instructions.

"Oh ... I hope you don't mind, but I think I'd better introduce you to the headmistress before we go to class" Louisa was a little apprehensive "just to let her know you're here."

"Fine, Lou," he agreed, also finding the right thing to do.

He let his girlfriend show him the way and, bravely, she knocked on the board door.

"Who is it?" Louisa recognized the voice of Mrs. Keylan.

"It's Miss. May, I'd like to introduce my boyfriend to you, if it's not too much trouble" the teacher warned her intentions.

"Fine, come in," the headmistress allowed.

Mrs. Keylan exchanged a look with Louisa and then paid attention to Gwilym, being slightly shocked, having a hard time believing that one of the school teachers was dating someone as handsome as a movie star actor.

"Mrs. Keylan, this is Gwilym, who will lecture to my students in today's class" Miss. May made the introductions.

"Nice to meet you." Gwilym shook the headmistress's hand, being polite as usual.

"The pleasure is all mine," said Mrs. Keylan "thank you for contributing to our students' education today."

"You're welcome." Gwilym nodded and he felt that Louisa was in a hurry.

"We must go, class is about to start," the teacher said in a farewell tone.

"Sure, have a good class," said the Mrs. Keylan and the couple left the board.

"Well, I think now comes the hard part." Gwilym sighed, dividing his gaze between Louisa and the classroom door.

"No, it won't be, deep down you know it won't" Louisa told what she was thinking "it's just the anxiety to see what will happen."

"I think that's exactly it," he agreed, pursing his lips.

A little while later, they heard the signal, announcing that classes were about to begin. Louisa took her seat at her desk, absentmindedly picking up her books, unaware that Gwilym looked a little lost.

"Honey, what do I do?" he asked uncertainly.

"Make yourself comfortable, Gwil and ..." She rose, touching his shoulders to reassure him. "You can sit in my chair for now."

He nodded and did as she asked, Louisa went to the door to receive her students. As they came and said "good morning," they reacted differently to the stranger sitting in their teacher's place. Some just assumed it was Miss. May, but anyone who had watched Bohemian Rhapsosy knew it was none other than Gwilym Lee.

Whoever recognized him for the movie tried to control the emotion, ashamed of what Louisa and Gwilym himself would think if they tried to talk to him before the teacher authorized it. Louisa stepped in front of the class, ready to start that different class.

"Good morning guys!" said the teacher "I know you didn't expect, but today I brought a special guest that you asked me a lot to meet, so here he is" she looked and gestured for him to stand beside her "this is my boyfriend Gwilym Lee".

"Hello!" He smiled and waved, hearing the students answer back.

"Well, don't think he's here for nothing, no, none of this" Louisa made it clear "remember that we're studying about Queen Elizabeth I, and I quoted about Shakespeare, about he helping to characterize her reign, and before that. So, Gwilym will talk more about the Bard to us, Gwilym, please."

He smiled at his girlfriend and, understanding his cue, and stared at his audience.

"Well, Louisa asked me to talk about what makes me like Shakespeare, since I'm such a huge fan of him" Gwil began "of course he was very smart, talented, romantic and also dramatic, he had a unique way with words that can describe feelings in a way that we all identify with, and describing feelings is not simple or easy to do ...."

Gwilym kept talking, which made Louisa get carried away by his sweet, cultured, intelligent voice, describing things he loved so much, in a way that reminded her father, but despite everything, Gwilym was being himself, with his own quirks and mannerisms."

When he was done, she took her position beside him.

"I know you're crazy to ask other questions," she told the class. "And since you were attentive and behaved so well, I'll let you do that, but take it easy, please."

"Mr. Lee!" Trevor, one of the students in the background, was faster than everyone "I found the movie Bohemian Rhapsody amazing! Tell us more about how it was to make the movie."

"Oh right" Gwilym liked the question "it was really cool, really, very different from other jobs I had done before, I trained a lot to learn guitar, then I had to kind of find my inner rock star, but the coolest of all of this was that I, Rami, Ben and Joe are still friends, and even more wonderful was that I met your teacher because of it."

"And how exactly did you meet?" Erin, one of the girls, represented everyone with her question.

"I knew that was what you'd want to know!" Louisa pointed to the children, but wasn't angry.

"Can I tell them, Lou? "Gwilym asked, in a funny tone.

"The least dramatic version possible, please," she said softly.

"Yes, ma'am." Gwil nodded and turned to the students. "Well, guys, the day I started working on the movie, Mrs. May, Louisa's mother, invited me to have dinner with them, with all the family and that's when I met your teacher, we found out we liked Doctor Who, and a while later, when filming started, she always came to visit us and we started hanging out together, me, Lou and the boys. A while later, I realized that I was liking Lou and later, I talked to her about it, she agreed to date me and that's the story."

Gwilym ended up giving a smile of satisfaction, thrilled to retell the whole trajectory and realize where he had come, he was there before Louisa's class, being her boyfriend, part of her life, just as she was part of his life now.


	34. A trip to Dublin

Louisa was a little apprehensive when she left work that late morning. It was a Friday and her weekend was filled with an important event. A few weeks ago, Gwilym had warned her about Allen's wedding, about him and the boys being invited, and how badly he wanted Louisa to go with him.

"You mean I'm being invited to Allen Leech's wedding? The same Allen Leech I know from TV?" Louisa eventually let out when her boyfriend told the news.

"Yes, I know you know him because of Downton Abbey, but, my love, you don't have to panic, understand?" Gwilym touched her arms to reassure her "he's just a friend, and everyone will be there too."

"Of course, of course" she soon came to herself "sorry for the little fangirl attack, it's just ... Well, I guess that's how many people think about you or my dad, you're right, after all, I can't forget that you are just ordinary, normal people ..."

"It's okay, I understand you." Gwilym patted her cheek and they ended up planning the trip to the wedding in Dublin.

Gwilym was finishing packing, he would meet Louisa in his apartment and together they would taxi to the airport. Arriving home, Miss. May had a quick but reinforced lunch, preparing for the long trip. She checked the last details of her luggage and waited for her boyfriend to arrive.

"Hang on!" she warned upon hearing the bell, assuming it was Gwilym, holding her bag as she walked to the door. "Hi, my love!"

He smiled and kissed her in greeting.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"I think so." She sighed and nodded, together they went down the elevator and took the taxi to the airport.

While they waited for their embarkation, they had some time to talk and, even though they calmed down a little at the thought of attending a big event involving Gwilym's friends, who were hers too, Louisa was still nervous.

Even used to the idea of the invitation, she was still uncomfortable with a small detail. In a pause between their conversations, she began biting her nails, the first thing she used to do when she felt nervous.

"Lou, are you okay?" her thoughtful boyfriend asked "do you want me to do something or look for something for you?"

"No, it's nothing like that," she shook her head, leaving her nails alone, "just, Gwilym, won't you get me wrong if I'm honest?"

"Of course not," he nodded. "If you're in trouble, I want to do my best to help."

"Okay, thank you, my love" she thanked him first, moved by his attention and dedication "is that I don't know Allen well, much less his bride, I was thinking that even with you and the boys around I can feel out of place, and besides that the last wedding I went to was Felix's last year and I basically knew everyone there."

"I see, I know how it's like." Gwilym looked tenderly at her. "And you know what, Lou? It's okay for you to feel that way, but if it's any consolation, can I tell you something?"

"Sure, what is it?" That got Louisa's attention.

"When Allen invited me to the wedding, he made sure you came with me, because the boys and I had talked so much about you that he wanted to meet you, and to have our dear friend, now my beloved girlfriend at his wedding" Gwilym finished the reporting with a smile of pride, Louisa was impressed to hear that.

"And you just tell me that now?" she blurted out.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you," he withered a little, afraid she might get mad.

"Oh okay ..." she sighed, understanding the attitude of her boyfriend "well, since I'm a special guest, I can't not go."

"And the plane and hotel tickets are already paid, it would be a tremendous waste." Gwilym shrugged, but Louisa knew he was joking.

She ended up patting his arm and laughing. The plane trip was smooth and tired, Louisa ended up taking a nap. She looked so cute and quiet that it was hard for Gwilym to resist and not take a picture, but he promised himself that he wouldn't post it anywhere. After checking in at the hotel, they ate something together to ease the hunger for travel hours. At night, Louisa proposed to take a walk around the city, just enjoying the incredible place they were. Gwilym was somewhat reluctant to the idea at first, but seeing his girlfriend so cheerful and smiling, convinced him to go out. After some walking, sleepiness and tiredness overcame them, sending them back to the hotel and sleeping early and all night, since the wedding would take place the next morning.

Gwilym and Louisa dressed quickly, she was wearing a blue dress, in TARDIS tones. Although she felt a little insecure when she dressed more formally, the color of the dress reminding her of Doctor Who made her comfortable. The cut of the sleeves resembled a shawl and the skirt was knee length. On her feet she wore brown heels, striving to keep her balance so that the height difference between her and Gwilym wasn't so obvious. Still a little embarrassed, she put a hand behind her ear, checking the loose hair that fell around her shoulders.

"You're amazing!" Gwilym broke the silence, in a lively and moved tone "not that you aren't, because you are already ..."

"I get it, Gwilym," she replied with a sideways smile. "But thank you, my love, you look beautiful too, a true prince, my prince."

"Thank you" he felt his cheeks flush at the compliment "right then, are we ready to go?"

"I suppose so," she nodded and without further ado, they left the hotel for Allen's wedding.

The ceremony site was a beautiful farm on the outskirts of the city, the bright green grass contrasted with the clear blue sky. The sun was bright but not strong, the weather was extremely pleasant, truly a perfect day to get married to your one and only love. Louisa and Gwilym walked side by side to a courtyard where the altar, the tables, and everything were set. Miss May smiled with relief at the sight of Ben, hurrying a little to find her well-known friend, in which Gwilym struggled to keep up with her.

"Louisa, it's so good to see you." Ben hugged her without hesitation, and she returned, "Glad you came."

"Well, I couldn't leave Gwil alone," she joked, "what about Rami, Lucy, and Joe?"

"They must be on their way, I'm saving room for you." Ben smiled.

"Thanks, Ben." Gwilym thanked for him and his girlfriend.

The couple sat at Ben's table while the other guests arrived. Eventually Rami, Lucy and Joe arrived and also sat with them. There was no sign of the couple for a long time, but Allen eventually showed up, giving a quick hello to his former co-workers.

"Ms. May, isn't it?" He said with a very nice smile "I'm very glad you came, it's nice to meet you."

"Yes, yes, thanks for the invitation" she was a little scared, after all it was impossible not to remember Tom Branson while talking to him, one of Louisa's favorite Downton Abbey characters.

The groom nodded and left them, taking his place to wait for his bride. It was a beautiful ceremony, with traditional vows, that brought Louisa to tears. It crossed her mind that after going to weddings being single, this was the first time she wasn't uncomfortable seeing a happy couple, since she had a wonderful boyfriend right next to her. At one point, she hugged Gwilym's arm, laying her head on his shoulder, which made him kiss the side of her forehead. After all, they joined the other guests to greet the newlyweds. Even a little shy, Louisa shook hands with Allen and Jessica, wishing them all the happiness in the world.

Over lunch, Louisa was impressed to look sideways, noting two special guests. Gwilym, always attentive to his girlfriend, noticed her sudden astonishment and became concerned.

"Are you all right Lou?" he said promptly.

"Gwilym, tell me if those are really Dan Stevens and Michelle Dockery or I'm dreaming ..." she murmured, still amazed, trying to be discreet.

"Well, it's them, really, but what ... Oh my God ..." Gwil also dropped his chin, understanding the reason for his girlfriend's reaction "they are simply Matthew and Mary Crawley, isn't it?"

"Yeah, exactly," Louisa said in a high, cheerful voice, "would I ... we ... I don't know, would they agree to take a picture with us?"

"We can try, my love." Gwilym smiled, willing to try it for Louisa's joy.

Before she could stop him, Mr. Lee had already got up and gone to talk to the Downton Abbey actors. Gwilym had introduced himself, talked a little about Allen, and finally broached the subject of being a fan of the show, he and his girlfriend. It was then that he returned to the table and before Louisa's confused and questioning look, he only answered the following:

"Just come with me."

She got up a little embarrassed, but was happy to meet Dan and Michelle, she praised the show, eir performances and how she loved the relationship of their characters. Finally, the actors thanked her for being such a dedicated fan and Dan ended up suggesting a photo, which Louisa accepted, even shy. So she realized that everything had gone much better than she could imagine.


	35. Beetween London and Sydney

Louisa and Gwilym sighed at the same time when they heard it was time for the flight passengers to board Sydney. He was about to travel for a couple of weeks in Australia to publicize the movie "Top End Wedding", which he had shot shortly after filming "Bohemian Rhapsody". It was the first time since they'd started dating that they'd be away from each other for a while, and it was being hard for them to get used to.

"Yeah, I think I have to go now," he said to Louisa as they approached the boarding line.

"Yeah, I'll miss your rides," she laughed softly, using humor to handle the goodbye.

"Oh, I'm glad to hear that I'm a good driver for you," he replied wryly, but he was also joking with her. "I'll miss you, Lou, I promise I'll call you every day."

"I know you will and I'll wait, you better not forget it!" She was a little energetic "but seriously now, I will miss you, really, Gwilym."

Seeing that he would soon embark, she kissed him goodbye, not caring much if the people around were watching. Gwilym returned her with a big hug.

"Take care of yourself and God bless your trip, okay?" she advised as they still hugged. "I love you, Gwilym."

"I love you too, Lou," he replied with a smile.

Louisa watched him from afar, seeing him move farther and farther away. That image tightened her heart, but what comforted her was knowing that no matter how far away, he would continue to love her, and she will continue to love him.

Upon meeting again with Gwilym's team and co-workers while filming "Top End Wedding", they soon noticed a certain difference in him. Lee was always thoughtful, kind, humorous, sweet, but even acting this way during the production of the movie, he sometimes seemed rather downcast, thoughtful, distant. They soon deduced that it was a personal problem, and decided not to disturb him by asking about it.

But now, whatever was bothering him in the past, it was completely settled. So when Miranda Tapsell, the film's lead actress, asked if he had any news, he was even happier to talk about what had happened.

"So, I met a girl while I was filming "Bohemian Rhapsody" and we got closer, we became friends" Gwilym couldn't help but smile as she counted "and for a long time, I hesitated to tell her that I liked her, but Now we're dating and I'm very happy."

"Oh so that was it" Miranda said in wonder "that explains a lot, congratulations! I can see how happy you really are."

"Oh really?" he replied, innocently embarassed "and what do you mean "that explains a lot"?"

"Oh Gwilym is that sometimes we thought you were a little sad on the set, thoughtful" Miranda explained "by the way you were thinking about ..."

"Louisa!" Gwilym completed proudly "her name is Louisa and she's amazing ..."

And unintentionally, and unable to contain himself, he began to tell more about his girlfriend, letting on how much he was delighted with her.

In London, Louisa continued her routine, working hard, answering her students' questions, with questions about History, but also about Gwilym. Once they met him, it seemed that Louisa's students liked him as much as their teacher.

"Well, guys, Gwilym is fine" Louisa ended answering, somewhat embarrassed "he's in Australia these days, promoting a new movie."

"Australia? New movie? It's the "Top End Wedding", isn't it?" one of the girls deduced "I really want to watch, it seems such a cute movie ..."

"How do you ...? Of course you know about the movie, why am I surprised?" Louisa was impressed, but then rolled her eyes.

These kids had all sorts of information in a fraction of a second on the palm of their hands because of technology. More questions arose, "Have you ever seen the movie at the premiere because your boyfriend worked on it?" "Why didn't you enjoy and travel with him?" "Are you getting married when he comes back?" All of this was like a huge avalanche over the teacher's mind and she had to go out for some water.

After calming down she ended up laughing, it was amazing how excited her students were, a sign that they were happy for her.

At night, Gwilym used to call and hear Louisa talking about her day. She ended up telling him about the avalanche of students' questions, and even if they were far away and could see each other through the phone screen, she could see his cheeks flush.

"The kids are so ... witty ..." Gwilym laughed embarrassingly, "but you know it all reminded me of one important thing I was thinking during those days."

"What is it?" Soon Louisa was alert.

"I haven't introduced you to my family yet, and Owen and Rhiannon have been charging me a lot," Gwilym explained.

"I know, I saw their comments in the pictures of IG" Louisa recalled "I also think it's important, it's just, well I didn't touch on this subject Gwilym, because ... I was getting used to having a relationship, but ... I think that now I'm more comfortable to meet your family."

"Really?" His face lit up. "Well, then we can plan it together when I get back."

"Okay, then," she smiled, which made him happy. "So when are you coming back?"

"In two days I'm going to London," he said. "I love Australia, but it's not the same without you."

"Oh stop it, you make me embarrassed" Louisa laughed, feeling her cheeks flush this time "but my old and well-known London is not the same without you."

"Looks like we're even then," he grinned.

"Yeah, how are you? Working hard or just enjoying the trip?" Louisa pulled the subject.

"Oh no, Miss. May, my job is very serious" he said very seriously "I saw the movie at the festival earlier this week and now we are doing a lot of interviews."

"Sure, that's what I expected." She smiled, proud of her boyfriend.

"I loved how the movie went Lou, I can't wait for you to watch it," Gwilym said enthusiastically.

"Oh yes, sure, I'll see it, yes" as she answered, other thoughts went through her head "so I'll let you rest."

"Okay, Lou, take care of yourself, I love you so much" he was saying goodbye.

"I love you too, Gwil, bye," she said with a sigh, watching him disappear from the screen.

Thus an issue flooded her thoughts. It had been kind of weird to see Gwilym in "Bohemian Rhapsody", but now seeing him in another movie made Louisa deduce that she would feel that same weird feeling if she saw him as another character now that they were dating. She tried not to bother with that, after all, it was something that was part of his job and she would always support him. Maybe she would get more used to the idea over time, maybe they could talk more about it when he got back. For now, despite the distance, Louisa was proud of how happy Gwilym was for his new job.


	36. The reunion

Now it was about two days before Gwilym finally to come home, which made Louisa very happy and also more anxious. His return meant having her boyfriend close to her again, but also having to face two challenges, as she was considering the situations.

First, it was the fact of watching his new movie. Louisa feared how she would react to seeing Gwilym playing someone else. It was a long process to get used to seeing him as her father, but without being her father. Out of curiosity, she glanced at the "Top End Wedding" trailer, and she was certainly amazed.

It was like seeing her boyfriend exactly as he was, Louisa was aware that it was still a character he was playing, but still, that was the way Gwilym acted in real life. And then the strange feeling she suspected she would feel, Louisa ended up feeling at that moment. In addition, she began to worry again about meeting Gwilym's family.

Calming down a little after this slight shock, she wondered how she could handle what was going on, the most perfect person to talk about it was Louisa's mother, and she would know exactly what to ask Chrissie.

Just getting to the front of her parents' house brought that usual sweet relief, which increased even more when Louisa entered the house.

"Hi, Mom, I'm glad I found you here," she said after Chrissie went to the door.

"Yeah, I didn't have to go out today, but is everything okay with you, my flower?" the mother asked.

"Yeah, Mom, you know us so well" Louisa giggled "I'm fine, I'm just ... Intrigued."

"Intrigued? What exactly happened?" Chrissie was curious.

"Well, it hasn't happened yet, but I can't help being nervous about some things ..." Louisa clarified a bit more.

"Whatever it is, my love, you can tell me." Her mother gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Well, is that, you know that Gwilym traveled to promote a new movie, and he mentioned about me watching the movie with him" said the daughter "I came to see the movie trailer, and I found it so weird to see my boyfriend as someone else, a person who looks so much like himself, I know how to differentiate things, but it's hard to avoid wondering about it, have you ever felt anything like it? I mean, seeing Daddy play? Because it was so common for me to see him playing, but now when it comes to my boyfriend ... Maybe I'm just being ridiculous, or talking too much ..."

"No, it's fine, my dear." Chrissie took her daughter's hand, understanding her discomfort. "It's natural that you have this strangeness. I didn't feel that bother seeing your father play, but with the way people approached him. You know Gwilym one way, so seeing him in a slightly different way, on a huge screen, exposed in that way, really does amaze you. It's no crime to feel that way, and you know what, Lou? Talk to him about it when he comes back, without fear, he will understand you."

"Okay" Louisa became calmer "what would I do without your advice, Mom?"

"I'm just doing my job of being your mother," Mrs. May happily justified herself "and what else is bothering you?"

Louisa wasn't even surprised when her mother said that, after all, Chrissie knew her children very well.

"Gwilym also said he wants to introduce me to his family," the daughter said.

"That's great, really!" her mother cheered up "it shows how much he considers you important."

"I know, I'm happy about that too, but ..." Louisa looked down "I'm not sure what to do or how to behave, I'm afraid of their reaction to me and ... It's a kind of situation that I never spent in my life."

"Yeah, that's another thing where your nervousness is totally understanding," Chrissie noted. "Just take a deep breath and be yourself, don't worry, Gwilym will be on your side giving you all the support, and as bad as it sounds at first, later. you get familiar with the people you just met, that's how it was with me and your grandpa Harold."

"Yeah, I suppose so, since Grandpa has always been a sweetheart with you, even being strict ..." Louisa replied thoughtfully "I think I should stay optimistic after all.!

"Always, my dear, always." Chrissie patted her hand affectionately.

So after talking to her mother, Louisa was able to feel better about her two challenges. Before facing them, she was dealing with waiting. She was sure that Gwilym wasn't waiting for her at the airport, waiting for his arrival, so she hoped he would enjoy the surprise. In her hands was a nameplate labeled "Gwil," another small detail she hoped he would like.

Gwilym got off the plane, picked up his luggage, and was already calling for a cab when he noticed his girlfriend, holding the sign with his nickname. He flashed a huge smile, wrapping Louisa in his arms for a long time.

"I didn't think I'd meet you here," he said near her ear as they hugged.

"I thought I'd come see you as soon as possible," Louisa justified her surprise, staring at Gwilym. "I missed you so much."

"And me too, how I missed you!" he said in a mixture of excitement and relief.

Thinking for a brief moment, not caring about the people around her, she kissed him without warning, holding his face, balancing on her toes.

"Do you promise me you won't be spending so much time away?" she asked, no longer wanting to miss him so much.

"There is a promise that I can't always keep, I'm sorry, my love" Gwilym was really sad about it "but I have an idea to reward the time I was away."

"What is it?" That caught Louisa's attention.

"I'll tell you when we get home," he said.

Louisa just smiled in response and together they drove to Gwilym's apartment. She waited patiently for him to unpack his luggage and return to the living room. When she met her boyfriend again, there was a box in his hands.

"I couldn't come back without bringing you a gift." Gwilym held the box out to her.

"Oh, but you didn't have to." Louisa was flattered.

"I needed to, we've been together for a couple of months and I haven't given you any gifts yet," he demanded of himself.

"Okay, thanks" Louisa eventually accepted the gesture, opening the box.

Inside was a necklace with a peculiar pendant, a TARDIS, a small blue telephone box, just like Doctor Who's.

"My God, Gwilym!" his girlfriend was completely impressed "did you find that in Sydney?"

"And I remembered you as soon as I saw it" he smiled "do you like it?"

"If I liked it, I loved it, thanks!" she hugged him.

She preferred to keep the new gift for use on a special occasion. As Louisa put the box in her purse, Gwilym was about to talk to her about something important that he had been thinking about the whole trip.

"Louisa, there is also something I wanted to talk about .." he started the subject and she looked at him "I was thinking of taking you to Birmingham, to meet my family, next week, what do you think?"

"To be honest, Gwil, I think it's really great," Lou nodded. "I know how important this is to both of us, and I'm more prepared for this now, so for me, that's fine."

"Oh good, I was worried about you feeling uncomfortable, but if it's alright with you, it's alright with me" Gwilym was relieved "thanks, my love."

"You're welcome, my love," Louisa replied with a sweet smile that earned her a kiss from her boyfriend.

She decided not to worry so much about the trip to Birmingham, just follow her mother's advice and show the Lees how much she loved Gwilym.


	37. Meeting the Lees

Louisa was up early, eager for the trip, excited to be able to travel with Gwilym, optimistic about what her day would be like. It would only be one day they would spend with the Lees, but Louisa hoped it would be enough to get to know the family and get fit, at best. Again, she ignited optimism and continued to wait for Gwilym. The doorbell made her get up, running to answer it.

"Good morning, my love," he said as soon as he saw her.

"It's really a good day when the first person I see today is you, Gwilym." Louisa tried a joke, which made her boyfriend blush.

"Thanks," he murmured flattered.

Without further ado, they got down together, and Gwilym opened the door of his car on the left, so that Louisa would sit next to him. Then he took his place behind the wheel and so they began the journey. It was she who had the idea to drive to Birmingham by car, it was her favorite way to travel, and Gwilym soon accepted the suggestion.

"Taking the road brings me so many memories ..." Louisa tugged at the subject, feeling nostalgic.

"Really? Like what?" Gwilym would like to hear stories that were special to his girlfriend.

"We always went to my grandparents' house like this" Louisa explained "Mom loved to organize these trips and my dad always drove, I sat next to Jimmy and we were talking and everything seemed so normal, but so wonderful, even being simple ..."

"But it's simple things that make life wonderful," Gwilym added.

"And that's your Shakespeare side speaking" Louisa joked "but you're right, my love, you're right."

"And what else did you do at your grandparents' house?" He wanted to know more.

"One dat in Hampton we went straight to the beach, we had a great day, we spent the whole afternoon there" she smiled at the memory "one hour we started throwing sand at each other and my father ran after my mother playing with her"

"Sounds cool, we could go there next holiday," Gwilym suggested, excited by what she said.

"Calm down, Gwil, this trip isn't over now, and you're thinking about the next one." She had to laugh.

"Sorry," he said, but laughing.

"No, that's okay, I liked your enthusiasm, reminds me of my grandpa Tony" Louisa had another memory "he loved to fly kites, and taught us how to fly kites, I miss him so much ..."

"You had amazing grandparents," Gwilym commented.

"Yeah, I was lucky to have time to meet them" Louisa sighed "Grandpa Harold passed away when I was very young, then Grandma Ruth, his wife, but I was already a teenager, my Grandpa Tony was six years ago, but Grandma Maggie is still alive, living in Leeds."

Louisa was a little sad to miss her, remembering relatives so beloved but no longer present. Her expression wilted a little as she remembered them, and Gwilym, realizing that, had an idea to cheer her up.

"Do you mind if I turn on the radio?" he asked delicately.

"No, not at all," she shook her head, smiling. "In fact, if you don't mind, my love, I brought something for this occasion."

Louisa took her purse from the glove compartment and from her purse, she took out a CD.

"I haven't seen one of these in a while," Gwilym commented.

"And this is the updated version of the original version" Louisa said, watching the disc in her hand.

"What would be the original version? Vinyl?" he kept trying to guess.

"A cassette," she revealed. "Em, Jim, and I recorded songs with my dad, our favorites, as time went on, I turned it over to the CD, but enough stories, let's hear it now."

"Yes, Miss. May" Gwilym nodded, taking the disc from her hands and putting it to play.

He grinned as he recognized "Hey Jude".

"Beatles? How wonderful! It's great to know my girlfriend has good taste!" he enthused.

"Thanks for the compliment, but I thought you already thought I had good taste since I told you what I liked to hear" Louisa pondered "but I understand your enthusiasm, you can thank my mother, ir was another influence from her, although my father like them too."

"When it comes to music, the Mays are great," Gwilym said at last.

"I can't disagree." Louisa nodded and they kept listening.

Past "Blackbird", "I Will", "She's Leaving Home", "She Loves You", "Penny Lane", "Can't Buy Me Love", "Here Comes The Sun", "Yesterday", "Help "," Hello Goodbye ". Gwilym and Louisa sang all together, not caring when the CD started playing again.

They arrived in Birmingham when "Penny Lane" was playing, which seemed like a fitting coincidence, reminding Gwilym of the place where he had grown up, which he knew so well. A few more minutes and they arrived. Louisa sighed when she saw the place, it was a typical family home in the suburbs, the wall was reddish brown, the porch steps were white, but stained here and there for the time being. Suddenly the sense of comfort she felt at her parents' house reappeared, and Louisa was sure everything would work out.

She opened the car door and got out, Gwilym soon came to hold her hand and they walked together to the porch. He knocked on the door, waiting for an answer and was surprised and happy to see his father.

"Gwilym! You arrived fast" Mr. Lee hugged him "was it a calm trip then?"

"Yes, it was," Gwil confirmed. "Dad, this is Louisa, my girlfriend."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Lee" she soon sympathized with Gwilym's father, relieved that he didn't look so much like her own father.

"We can finally meet, right?" Gwil's father smiled, shaking her hand.

"Yeah, I think I got a little guilty about that, I'm sorry." She thought it best to be honest.

"No, don't blame yourself, everything has a right time to happen and the important thing is that we are together here and now" the older Lee assured her "but now come in, besides the longing we are missing from Gwilym, there are also curious people to meet you, you know."

"Okay," Louisa muttered, a little nervously.

She kept walking, right next to her boyfriend, they passed the hall, and a living room with a fireplace, until they reached the dining room where everyone was gathered.

"Hi folks!" Gwilym greeted, which caused a commotion of the family.

His mother hugged him first, then his older brother, his sister-in-law, his sister, and his other brother, and lastly his nephews, two boys and a girl.

"This is Louisa, isn't it?" Mrs. Lee got closer to both of them "good to meet you, you're so much more beautiful in person."

"Oh ... Thank you" the compliment took Louisa by surprise and made her blush.

"We only met you at Gwil's IG," Rhiannon, his sister pointed out, "welcome, Louisa, I'm Rhiannon."

"Gerraint" the oldest of the four Lee brothers also introduced himself "hello!"

"Hi," Louisa answered.

"I'm Owen, this is Gerry's wife Lyla, and the little ones, George, Bernie and Lizzie." Owen introduced himself, taking the lead from the rest of the family.

"Uncle Owen, I wanted to introduce myself," George complained.

"Don't mind Owen, Louisa, he's always like this," his mother justified.

"Well, I have an uncle who is just like your uncle Owen, George." Louisa made conversation with the boy, to ease the tension of the moment.

"Really? Is your uncle annoying too?" asked George curiously.

"George!" his father scolded.

"Let him, Gerry, I'm used to it." Owen shrugged.

"Is this how you behave in front of the visitor?" it was Mrs. Lee scold "what will Louisa think of us?"

"Don't worry, Mrs. Lee, my family is like that too" Louisa helped Gwil's mother.

"So you know what it's like to put up with three brothers?" Rhiannon asked in a funny tone.

"Hey, we aren't unbearable!" Gerry made a point of defending himself.

"Well, actually, I have an older brother and a younger sister," Miss. May told them "but among the three of us, I think I was the annoying sister."

"No, not you, Lou, you're my angel!" Gwilym soon showed his surprise.

"To reassure you Gwil, Jim and Emily make sure I changed for the better," she said.

"As far as I know about you, you really changed for the better, yes." Gwilym smiled passionately.

"Look, how cute our little boy is so in love!" said Rhiannon in a high voice.

"Rhia! Now you're being annoying,” Lyla commented.

The family laughed and that sound made Louisa feel at home.


	38. At the Lees' household

After laughing a little, Ceinwun decided to change the subject a bit, curious to know other things about her son's girlfriend.

"What do you work with, honey?" Mrs. Lee asked sweetly.

"Oh I'm a history teacher" Louisa replied with all pride and joy, but Gwilym's brothers scowled at that.

"Teacher! It suits you a lot, you look very smart, Louisa,” Tom complimented.

"Oh thank you" she thanked Mr. Lee with a shy smile.

"But you always wanted to be a teacher?" Lyla asked, guessing that was what the other three Lee siblings would like to know.

"Not exactly, I think I found out I liked history after I finished school," Louisa said, "but my mother had something to do with it."

"Why? Did she suggest you be a teacher?" Rhiannon was interested.

"No, but she and my father were teachers and my mother always liked history." Ms. May explained "and I spent my gap year at my grandma's house and my mom's books were all there, I ended up reading and enjoying it."

"Speaking of your family ..." Owen brought up the subject again.

"Owen, don't ..." Gwilym whispered to him, somewhat desperate, unable to be very discreet.

Louisa soon knew the reason for Gwilym's reaction. He figured maybe she didn't want to talk about Brian and Queen.

"My love" she tenderly called him, touching his arm, which pleased the family and made him pay attention to her "no problem, it's all right, really."

"Fine," Gwilym relented, relieved.

"What do you want to know about my family?" Louisa turned to the Lees, willing to tell broadly what else they wanted to know.

"Well, is that your father is Brian May, Queen's guitarist ..." Owen said, even embarrassed "how is he?"

"Oh ..." Miss. May paused and made a thoughtful face on purpose "he's tall, has gray curly hair, plays Red Special ..."

The family's laughter interrupted her and even Gwilym laughed.

"You forgot to say your girlfriend was funny, Gwilym," Gerry joked.

"Okay, I was joking" Louisa herself apologized "my dad is great, really, he's all that I said, you already knew it, but he's also a very normal guy with a huge heart. In parenting, he acts like any other parent would."

"Oh yes, but ... What is it like to be the daughter of Queen's guitarist? Are you close to Roger, Freddie and John too?" Owen remained excited, and Gwilym worried again.

He knew very well that these were questions his girlfriend hated to answer. As well as his brother was well intentioned, Gwilym feared how Louisa's heart was handling it all. He had a partial answer to that when she held his hand under the table and laid her head on his shoulder. It was a defense mechanism, but Louisa didn't lose courage.

"Well, having a famous father is not so cool" she was saying her opinion "there are people who can be very inconvenient ..."

"Like you now, Owen," Gerry scold him.

"Hey!" the youngest complained "I'm sorry Louisa, if I'm bothering you."

"No, that's all right," she said, "when I was a kid, it was a lot worse, but now I'm used to it."

"I never stopped to think about it" Owen became more reflective "because of the harassment of the fans, of course."

"Yeah, that's it" she gave him a sad smile, but soon became happy "but let's talk about the good things you mentioned, my uncles! You know, I grew up calling them Uncle, and it's like they're really my dad's brothers."

"Yeah, you can tell Queen is really a family," Owen agreed.

"And I'm a witness to that." Louisa nodded.

"And you and Gwilym? How did you meet?" Geraint wanted to know more about that.

"She visited the set one day" Gwilym took the opportunity to talk, as if waiting to tell this story he loved "with her parents, and I wanted to be kind, thanking her for her presence, but I scared you, didn't I, Lou?"

"You? You don't scare a fly!" Rhia said directly to Gwilym.

"It's because he looks so much like my father," Louisa explained between laughs.

"And isn't it kind of weird to date a guy who looks like your father?" Owen said, part fun, part curious.

"Oh Gwil just looks like my father, but he's not like my father" she replied, looking at her boyfriend "but they have similar qualities, a huge heart, kind, worried, and full of love too, the perfect boyfriend."

"Good to know how much you love my son, dear." Ceinwun touched Louisa's hand affectionately.

"Thank you, Mrs. Lee,” the youngest woman returned, completely thrilled, feeling her eyes water.

Louisa was so apprehensive about meeting Gwilym's family that she was flattered and honored to feel how much the Lees welcomed her, and approved of her as Gwilym's girlfriend.

He noticed Louisa's emotion, kissing her cheek, to say that she was also a wonderful girlfriend.

A little later, the family had tea together and Gwilym's siblings took the opportunity to tell stories of their childhood, what it was like to grow up in Birmingham, and how sometimes he felt confused.

"People find it strange that you were born in London, but you don't have the accent from there, or when they say you're not Welsh if you were born in London," Gwilym commented on those memories. that I only came to understand when I grew up.

"That explains a lot! reflected Louisa "but as I said once and repeat, I love your name and you being Welsh, those are things that make you who you are."

"Thanks." Gwil took one of her hands and kissed her bent fingers.

Geraint then came up with the idea of playing rugby, something Gwilym loved. In the middle of the day's conversations, Louisa learned that her boyfriend used to play rugby at school and even considered pursuing this career, but eventually found himself in acting.

She just sat next to Ceinwun, Tom and Lyla, watching Gwilym play with his siblings and nephews. He was so patient and cheerful with the children, laughing and explaining how to play, he was simply charming and adorable. That scene had already been etched in Louisa's memory and heart.

So the day was ending and around 6 pm Gwilym and Louisa prepare to return to London. She said goodbye to everyone already familiar with them.

"When are you coming back, Aunt Louisa?" Lizzie asked, which touched Lou's heart.

"I hope we can come back very soon, Lizzie." Her new aunt smiled, touching her cheek.

Before leaving, Louisa took a mysterious envelope from her purse and handed it to Owen, who was intrigued by the gesture.

"Gwilym told me how much you are a fan of Queen," she explained. "Then I thought I'd ask this for you ... to my dad."

Owen was speechless as he wondered what it was. He just opened the envelope and came across a picture of Brian with the Red Special in 1983. In the corner, it was written in the guitarist's handwriting "With love and affection, to Owen Lee. Brian May."

"How can I thank you for that?!" he said, completely excited.

"You really don't have to," Louisa giggled. "Everything you and everyone did for me this afternoon is enough thanks."

Owen nodded and hugged her, the rest of the family said goodbye to Louisa once again and Gwilym was completely happy to see how much his family already loved his girlfriend.


	39. A special meeting

Louisa and Gwilym shared the same feeling as he drove through the streets of Leeds. Peace, quiet, tranquility, the common characteristics of a small country town.

It was the second time they had been traveling together, just the two of them and the radio on, playing the Beatles or some more modern band, and of course, occasionally, Queen. This trip was special because, after the two of them knew each other's families very well, Louisa found it important that Gwilym met her precious grandmother. As they were heading for Margaret Mullen's house, Louisa remembered the conversation she had with her maternal grandmother about her boyfriend for the first time.

"Hello, Grandma," she said, glad to hear her voice.

"Louisa! My darling girl! How long I don't talk to you!" Maggie was positively surprised by the call" what do I have to do for you to call me?"

"Oh grandma, everyone says that, I didn't expect you to say that too," Louisa laughed.

"Yeah, I know that from everyone in the family, you still call me more often" her Grandma solved the question "but tell me, what do you want to talk to me?"

"So, Grandma" said the apprehensive girl, taking courage to speak "is that ... I got a boyfriend."

"Really? This is wonderful!" Maggie celebrated, knowing how much this was a great achievement for her granddaughter "and how he is? Who he is? How did you meet him?"

"There are too many questions, Grandma" Louisa smiled "but I really want you to meet him, he's great, really great. That's why I called, to arrange a visit, to introduce Gwilym to you."

"Yes, yes, how good it will be to see you, my girl!" Mrs. Mullen nodded "come when you want, when you think it's best, I'll be waiting."

"Okay, Grandma, I'll let you know when we go, thanks" Louisa confirmed the visit "bye and see you!"

"See you soon, Louisa!" Maggie hung up, already eager to see her granddaughter and meet her boyfriend.

And the day of the visit had come, Louisa and Gwilym were already approaching Maggie's house. The place hadn't changed much since the time Louisa and her siblings were just kids. As they got out of the car, she noticed some of his apprehension.

"It's okay, Gwil, she's a sweetheart," Louisa assured her.

He nodded and smiled, trusting his girlfriend. She knocked on the door and a lady appeared. Her age was well stamped by her white hair and the wrinkles between her eyes and lips. Besides, she moved with a little weakness, but still, she was energetic to receive her visitors.

"Louisa ... Louisa!" Grandma wrapped her in a long hug, and then touching her face "oh my girl, you are still so beautiful, maybe a little more beautiful, and happy, I believe this gentleman is the reason for it."

Maggie watched Gwilym.

"Hi, Grandma, you're not wrong," Louisa agreed. "That's the great man I wanted to introduce to you."

"Gwilym Lee, Mrs. Mullen, nice to meet you.” He bent slightly, squeezing Maggie's hand.

"Nice to meet you too, my boy," she smiled at him, "but please come in and make yourself at home."

"Okay," Louisa said promptly.

Following his girlfriend, Gwilym sat with her in the living room. Mrs. Mullen sat in an armchair in front of them, snuggling to begin asking the questions she wanted to ask.

"So Gwilym, what a beautiful name you have." Maggie smiled at him. "Like you, I must say."

"Thank you, Mrs. Mullen" he thanked her shyly, glad that she didn't find his name strange.

"If you don't mind telling me, how did you meet my granddaughter?" she urged.

"Oh ..." Gwilym exchanged a confidential look with Louisa, she nodded, authorizing him to tell the story "well, for starters, I don't know if you know, but we made a movie about Queen."

"Oh I know, Chrissie commented to me," Mrs. Mullen got it "I'm a fan of the band, so to speak, but I didn't get to watch the movie or hear about it in too much detail."

"Well, I ..." For some strange reason, Gwil felt embarrassed to tell what he was about to tell "I'm the actor who played Brian in the movie."

"I knew you were familiar to me!" Louisa's grandmother patted her leg "you really remind me of Brian, I even remembered a little when Chrissie first introduced him to us, but anyway, was it because of the movie that you met?"

"Yeah, it was," Gwilym relaxed. "Louisa came to see the shoot with Brian and Mrs. May, and I approached her, we became friends with a while and I realized I liked her."

"And she started to date you?" Mrs. Mullen was thrilled with the story "but I guess she didn't take it that easy, did she?"

"Grandma!" Louisa got scared.

"I'm right, aren't I? I know you, my dear.” the Grandma tilted her head reasonably.

"I can't lie to you," Louisa muttered, but rolled her eyes. "I confess I was scared at first."

"You had nothing against Gwilym, did you?" the grandmother understood "but because of the reputation of Queen, and of your father ..."

"Yeah" Lou had to agree.

"You know Gwilym, let me tell you a story about my Lou, a story I think you should know," her grandmother proposed, and Louisa knew what she was talking about, finding it necessary for her boyfriend to know about that delicate part of her life. "When she was a young girl, about 13 years old, Chrissie told me she had stopped to go out with her parents when they were involved with something with the band. My daughter found this behavior strange, but deep down she and I knew very well why she felt like that. And Lou kept avoiding everything that had to do with Queen for a long time, until her gap year came, and she lived a year with me and her grandfather. It was great to receive my granddaughter here, she was always so happy and spontaneous, except when she got here, that wasn't how she was. She was supposed to arrive early from the London trip here, but she was a few days late, and I was very worried ..."

"I needed some time just for me" Louisa interrupted Maggie gently, looking at Gwilym "to get away from all that attention because of my father ... I stopped here and there on the road, worked as a waitress and washing dishes, saving money, but not being recognized as Queen's guitarist's daughter was a great relief, really, not that I'm ashamed of my father or my family ..."

"No, I understand you," Gwilym took her hand. "It's not your family's fault, it's the people, the ones who forget you're just an ordinary, simple girl, a human being, but the most precious human being to me because you're just as simple as you are. And I understand you, my love, I will always understand you. No matter what happens to me, I know I want you by my side."

"Gwilym ..." Louisa sighed, delighted, feeling grateful, flattered, lucky, as every time she said the name of her beloved, she touched his face, uncertain what to do.

She ignored the presence of Mrs. Mullen, having a feeling this was exactly what she wanted, too. He leaned toward Louisa and kissed her, showing all his love and protection for her. When they broke apart, she had flushed cheeks and looked blandly at her grandmother.

"Don't be shy, my dear," Maggie assured him it was all right. "I wanted you so much to find such beautiful love, like your mother's, and your siblings', and you did. Thank you for loving my granddaughter so much Gwilym.

"It's a pleasure and a privilege, Mrs. Mullen.” He smiled at her.

"Likewise, my dear Gwilym," Louisa wiped a few tears as she answered, "likewise."

It was her turn to kiss him, to the delight of Gwilym and Mrs. Mullen.


	40. Important Invitation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry for the delay on posting a new chapter, I had a very, very, very busy Wednesday, but anyway, hope you guys enjoy it.

Before it got dark, Gwilym and Louisa left Leeds and made their way back to London, as much as Mrs. Mullen had insisted that they stay at least a little longer.

"You know it's a relatively long trip and we have to work tomorrow," her granddaughter justified, but also wishing she could stay a little longer.

"I know, I understand," Mrs. Mullen nodded "but just one afternoon wouldn't hurt, and besides, I'll miss Gwilym too."

"And I'll miss you, too, ma'am," he smiled, "it was great to spend the day here."

"I say the same, Gwilym," Maggie answered him. "Whenever possible, convince your sweet girlfriend to come visit me."

"Grandma, I don't need to be convinced of that," Louisa defended herself. "I love you."

"But even loving me, you hardly come here," said her grandmother.

"I promise we'll come more often," Gwilym eventually settled the question. "Thanks for everything, Mrs. Mullen"

"I thank you, my boy" she hugged him goodbye, then it was Louisa's turn.

So they left Leeds with a promise to return soon. Even at a distance, both Gwilym and Louisa maintained constant contact with Maggie.

The couple continued their normal work routine until Gwilym received an invitation that made him completely frightened but also excited. It all started when he checked his email, there was a message from the Golden Globe organizing team congratulating the nominations for "Bohemian Rhapsody ".

Continuing to read the email to the end, there was what impressed Gwilym even more, the entire main cast of the film, including himself, was invited to attend the awards ceremony. The Golden Globe was one of the biggest film industry award, and that in itself made Gwilym flattered, even though he went to other major awards Bo Rhap had been nominated for.

All of his surprise and amazement multiplied even more when in the same week he received a similar email from the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences itself. The film in which Gwilym and his colleagues had dedicated themselves to working so lovingly and honoring Queen and their fans, which had provided him with not only meeting three great friends but also the love of his life, had been nominated for an Oscar, and he and his co-workers were invited to attend the grand ceremony.

Being present at both events were too great a privilege for an actor. The sense of accomplishment and pride made Gwilym cry tears of joy, but also feel slightly nervous. His first idea right after the news was to know how the boys were reacting to all this.

_"Guys, I've heard about the Oscars and the Golden Globe now. That's crazy, isn't it?"_

Gwilym sent it to their chat group.

**BEN**   
_Me too, it's unbelievable. We are very lucky!_

**GWILYM**   
_And are you handling this well? I mean, I never imagined being at the Oscars_

**JOE**   
_No, we're not completely fine, we're exploding inside_

**RAMI**   
_Maybe you're exploding a little outside Joe, but yes, I think we're all inside_

**BEN**   
_And you got an Oscar nomination, man!_

**RAMI**   
_Yeah ... No words for that..._

**GWILYM**   
_Congratulations, Rami_

**RAMI**   
_Thanks guys_

Knowing that his friends were having a similar reaction to his made Gwilym more comfortable. It was frightening but fantastic what was happening to them. Soon after, another thought crossed his mind.

Near Louisa's departure time from her work, he made a point of picking her up early, eager to tell her the news. Now that he was more familiar with the school and the people who frequented the place familiar with it, Gwilym was able to enter the place freely. He headed toward Louisa's classroom, finding some of her students halfway there, who gave him a quick hello that he returned. Arriving at the door, he came across his girlfriend, concentrating, putting her books in her backpack, beautiful as always.

"Louisa," he called softly.

She started a little, surprised to recognize that voice.

"Got impatient today, Gwilym Lee?" She turned to him playfully with one hand on her waist. "Sorry to make you wait so long."

"Maybe I was rushed by longing," he smirked, "and something else."

"What else?" Louisa frowned curiously.

"Oh, I'll tell you when we get to Haijing," he proposed, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"I'll just wait because I love Chinese food," she agreed.

"I know, I'm kind of guilty about that," he answered.

They exchanged a quick kiss before leaving the classroom. Louisa took the trip to the restaurant to tell about her morning, waiting patiently for the news of her boyfriend.

At "Haijing" they ordered their favorite dish and after eating a little, Gwilym felt his girlfriend's rush to hear him.

"So, Lou, the other thing I wanted to tell you is that ..." he started the subject "the film was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar."

"Oh really? Oh my God! This is so great, so great!" was her immediate reaction "but of course, it was to be expected, you have been nominated for so many other awards, and I am still proud of you."

"Thank you, my love." Gwilym smiled at her, but soon frowned.

"So you mean you're going to LA next month, don't you?" Louisa deduced "are you worried about us getting away from each other again? For better or worse, I'm getting used to it."

"No, love, it's just the opposite," he sighed, being careful to bring up the subject. "Me, Ben, and Joe can bring a date to these events, of course Rami will take Lucy, and she's also technically part of the cast."

"You want me to come with you," Louisa said loudly, amazed.

"Yeah, it would be a pleasure for me," Gwilym answered softly, "but only if it's okay with you."

In a brief moment, before Louisa answered, her mother's advice hit her mind and heart hard. Chrissie was always by Brian's side no matter what, full of love and pride in her husband's deeds. Louisa loved Gwilym and was really proud of all the recognition of his work and his friends. Then she understood, for love she would take the stance that the moment was asking for, she would be the "proud girlfriend of actor Gwilym Lee". Besides, another thing that convinced her even more was what Gwil had told her in Leeds, that he wanted her by his side, no matter what.

"Of course I will go with you, Gwilym" she touched his face "you can count on me, because I want to be by your side too."

"Thank you, thank you." He kissed her hand enthusiastically, but then let her continue her meal.

For all Gwilym's joy, it was worth facing the spotlight and attention. But Louisa wouldn't be alone, she knew she could count on her boyfriend supporting her too.


	41. An outfit consultation

Louisa had begun to get used to the idea that she was going to the Golden Globe and Oscar awards that year. That in itself made her a little dizzy, but she was up to the challenge. Then she began to wonder what it would be like when she was there, what she would do, what she would say, how she would dress. About what to do, she knew how to behave in big events, her parents raised her so well that she knew how to handle that kind of situation. Her mother's hand was always around hers when she always needed it and now that Louisa had grown up, Gwilym would hold her hand.

After that question settled in her mind, Louisa started thinking about what to wear and that's when she started to freak out. She had never really cared about fashion, her style, if she had it, was very simple, practical and comfortable, and not always fashionable had those characteristics.

Louisa was unsure what she would wear, whether it was better to buy a new dress or have one made, but if she ordered one and took too long to get it over, it would upset her plans. She laughed alone in the middle of her apartment, thinking about this whole question, thinking how worried she was about such a trivial thing, it was silly behavior. That's when she had an idea.

When Louisa arrived at her parents' house, she noticed both of them a little tense for some reason.

"Did I come at a bad time?" she didn't hesitate to ask.

"No, my dear daughter, no way" her mother soon said apologetically "not at all..."

"Did something serious happen?" Louisa had to know.

"Nothing, we just heard we were invited to attend the Golden Globe and ..." Brian interrupted his own explanation. "Frankly, your mother is freaking out."

"Bri, I ..." Mrs. May sighed, a little tired "it's a big thing, and glamorous and full of attention and spotlight, and as much as I'm used to events, this is ... Frightening to me."

"Chrissie, there's nothing to fear, we'll be there, all together!" Brian insisted, but with all the patience in the world.

"I know, I just want to be as presentable as possible, without drawing too much attention, you know?" Chrissie scowled doubtfully.

"Of course I understand, and that's how you will be" her husband kissed her forehead "my elegant and beautiful wife next to me."

"Thank you," mumbled Mrs. May "but I'm still not sure what I'm going to wear."

"Funny that this is my biggest doubt at the moment too," Louisa confessed, embarrassed.

"What do you mean my love?" Chrissie set her dilemma aside, paying attention to her daughter.

"Gwilym will be attending the Golden Globe too," Louisa said, "and I agreed to accompany him."

"Really? That's good, very good,” her father commented, delighted, glad Louisa was leaving the old habit to hide and avoid big events behind her.

"Yeah, he was so excited when he invited me" their daughter smiled "there was no way I could say no, and he wants so badly that I go with him ... But I have no idea what to wear, I was going to ask Mom for advice on that..."

"Well, my love, I think I can help you as much as possible." Chrissie sounded uncertain.

Brian sighed, not understanding why his wife was so worried. An idea crossed his mind and he put it into practice.

"Hello? Emily, it's Dad," he said on the phone. "I need your help here, with your mother and sister, please ..."

"Are we that desperate?" Louisa turned to her father, understanding what he had just done.

"No offense, but yes." Brian held back his laugh, and Chrissie ended up smiling at him, showing that everything was fine.

Emily wasn't long, willing to help as best she could, convincing her sister and mother to go out with her to do some shopping, which was very difficult. Maybe Chrissie was easier to convince, as much as the girls' mom didn't have the patience to choose new clothes, she always enjoyed spending time with her daughters. Louisa could be really impatient, which made her annoying, but on this particular occasion she was willing to find the perfect dress.

Emily took them to the right place and just let Louisa and Chrissie choose what they liked best.

"Looks like the roles have reversed a little," said Mrs. May "I remember when I took you to buy new clothes."

"And I'm doing what you did," Emily added, "remember when you let us choose?"

"Yeah, everything was and is so simple" their mother sighed "I really panicked."

"Just take your own advice, mother" Louisa turned to her "be by my father's side and it will be all right."

"That fits you too," Chrissie pointed out and the oldest daughter nodded.

"Don't worry Lou, Mommy, Daddy and uncles will be around," Emily reminded her.

"And Gwilym and the boys and Lucy too." Her sister remembered their fellowship.

Her mother and sister's advice calmed Louisa enough that she focused on the task of choosing her dress. What caught her eye was a deep navy blue dress. The straps hugged the shoulders in delicate circles. The skirt was long and just a little round.

"Do you think it will look good on me?" she asked Chrissie and Emily, holding the garment in front of her.

"I'm sure it will," her mother confirmed.

"Navy blue is your color," her sister said cheerfully.

Louisa smiled at the compliments, deciding she already knew what to wear at the Golden Globe. Her mother had also decided on a color of wine dress, the sleeves covered her shoulders delicately, the V-neck wasn't too deep.

Emily smiled, pleased to be able to help and hoping that her mother and sister would really feel comfortable at these events.

Over time, both Louisa and Chrissie were really ready to accompany their loved ones at the awards. She had to make a long trip to Los Angeles and stay in a hotel, but it would all be worth it, she was sure of it.  
Lou braced herself on the big night of the Golden Globe, preferring to avoid the mirror, as looking at her in the mirror would only make her more nervous. She just took a deep breath, waiting for Gwilym.

When she answered the door, they both held their breath at the same time, wondering how their elegance had enhanced their beauty.

"You really are my prince tonight," Louisa said jokingly, but it was a serious compliment.

"And you, my princess." He kissed her cheek gently.

Without delay, they got into the taxi that would take them to the venue. All the way, Louisa held Gwilym's hand, showing that she was there and wouldn't leave his side, as he had beautifully told her. She also wanted with all her heart to always have him by her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't very pleased with this chapter when I wrote it, so knowing your opinion about it would be really cool, really. Now that I've read it a second time, I don't think it's that bad. See you!


	42. The Golden Globes

When Louisa got out of the taxi, she was dazzled to see the grand theater in Beverly Hills where the Golden Globe ceremony was to take place. The feeling made her slightly dizzy and uncomfortable, but she faced the indisposition and moved on.

Then, after their names were confirmed as guests, Louisa and Gwilym took their place on the red carpet. He made sure to be considerate of photographers and reporters, but careful to be quick so that Louisa didn't feel embarrassed and suffocated. She, in turn, did her best to maintain her posture, grateful that she was occasionally ignored by reporters. It was as if she wasn't the daughter of Queen's guitarist, just an ordinary girl, accompanying a famous actor, and at that moment Louisa realized that her mother was right in her advice, all the attention Brian and Gwilym received wasn't for them, only for their beloved ones. It was with this realization that she was able to face the event so much more easily because of this and because they soon took their place inside the theater.

There were tables distributed throughout the space and following the organization of the event, their seats were properly marked. To help Louisa further, she and Gwilym would share the table with Joe, Ben, and Allen. Rami would sit with Queen and Graham King, closer to the stage. This fact caused Louisa curiosity, but she had her own deductions for them to sit away from each other. Shortly after the boys arrived and greeted them, Louisa turned to her boyfriend.

"Rami sat there closer to the stage because of his nomination for the award?" she asked Gwilym, leaning closer to him.

"Yeah, that's exactly why" he confirmed "I know it seems strange to be far away but, as much as we are part of the movie too, it was Rami and not us who was nominated."

"Got it." That made Louisa a little sad.

"Gwilym! Don't talk like that!" Joe scolded him jokingly "you make us seem insignificant supporting actors."

"No, Joe, no way," Lou tried to comfort him. "It's just a technical matter, no problem, and if I could choose where to sit, I'd sit right here."

"So they kind of inadvertently put you in the perfect place?" Ben asked.

"In a way, yes," she confirmed.

"Why?" Allen was curious.

"Because it's a more discreet place and we don't draw attention" Louisa was sincere.

"Yeah, I know, it all scares us a little too, but you're doing well," Allen assured her.

"Thank you." Louisa smiled gratefully.

She let the boys talk about their own affairs and, unintentionally, was automatically made to pay attention to their surroundings. On the one hand, she was glad to realize that she wasn't the only ordinary person there, Louisa had deduced that many guests were movie industry employees, screenwriters, directors, producers, people who were there for their behind-the-scenes work.

But of course Louisa's look caught some less anonymous people. Looking ahead, a considerable distance from their desk, she recognized Christian Bale's distinct silhouette, turning a little to the left. Not far away, a guest's red hair caught her eye, and Lou realized it was Amy Adams. When another man turned to glance back, Louisa saw Adam Driver clearly. Shortly after, Lady Gaga herself stood, walking down the corridor, absent for a while. Louisa found it fascinating, some of her students were big fans of the singer, and the teacher recognized that she was a great artist, but in the case of Louisa herself, what made her excited was the fact that she saw Bale, Adams and Driver so close, or as close as she could, since she was a great admirer of their work.

When Gwil turned back to his girlfriend, he noticed Louisa distracted by something.

"What is it, my love, are you looking for your parents?" he deduced.

"Oh no, not really," she smiled, "but I think you can easily find my parents, but I wasn't looking at them."

"What was it then?" Gwilym wanted to know.

"It's kind of unbelievable to me ..." she let out a cheerful sigh "I'm in the same place as Batman, Kylo Ren, Lois Lane and Lady Gaga, I never imagined such a thing would happen to me, no that I'm self-interested, that's not it, no matter if it was going to happen to me or not, whether it's because of you or not, it's just a really cool thing that happened to me."

"I understand you, of course I understand you," Gwilym laughed softly. "Just like Allen said, we're feeling that way too."

Louisa nodded and then everyone heard a warning that the ceremony would start in 5 minutes. It was long enough for her to imagine what it would be like if Rami and the movie took home the awards in the categories they were nominated for, she hoped that would happen.

As the ceremony began, Louisa politely listened, applauding the winners, finding it all very interesting. For someone who loved movies and TV shows, it was a very entertaining night. As a Bale fan, she was pleased when he won the Best Actor in Comedy award.

"Isaac loves him in the Batman movies," Louisa whispered to her boyfriend after Christian finished his speech.

"And I suppose you do too," he replied with a sideways smile, "but it's hard not to like it, they're really great."

They followed a few more awards and then announced the Best Actor in Drama award. It was unanimous the shout of joy that Louisa let out, plus the enthusiastic clapping. Her expression was one of pure pride as her friend took the stage. Rami thanked the award to Queen, Freddie, saying how much he loved and admired him. which earned a noticeable greeting from Louisa's uncle, and the cast and crew behind the movie. Louisa wanted to hug him, but had to save her affection when she met him later.

A few awards later, nearing the end of the ceremony, it was time to announce the Best Drama Movie and Louisa and all of her table mates redoubled their attention, awaiting the long-awaited result. Hearing "Bohemian Rhapsody", they stood and clapped with all their might and joy. Graham King, Rami, the band itself and Jim Beach went up to receive the award, it had been really gratifying to see the film being recognized as Louisa had been following the whole process, practically from the early stages so far.

With the ceremony officially over, Louisa prepared mentally and emotionally for the next stage, the after party. It was another trait she had in common with her mother, she didn't like that kind of thing, because it seemed like she didn't fit in places like that. However, tonight she wasn't alone, she had the company of her parents, uncles, the boys, and Gwilym.

That was how she was able to feel comfortable, finally being able to give that hug she wanted to give Rami.

"I'm so happy for you, really," she said as she hugged him.

"Thanks, Lou," he replied with a smile.

A while later, someone quite familiar also helped Louisa feel better.

"How are you doing so far?" her mother said "isn't very scared or bothered?"

"Oh no, Mom, no way" Louisa said "I confess that at first it was complicated, you saw it, but then, just sit back and pay attention, really. And you, are you okay with that too?"

"I am, it has been very calm," Chrissie nodded. "I think we overdo it without needing to."

"Not without need, I think it's in our nature to worry," her daughter noted, "the important thing is that today we had the opportunity to realize that we are capable of handling it."

"Yes, it's something we have to rediscover and remember every day," her mother concluded.

All that luxury and glamor could dazzle other people, but as Louisa had learned from her mother and now, more than ever, she was there to give the love and support her beloved friends and boyfriend deserved.


	43. The Oscars ceremony

Even having more than a month to get used to the idea, Gwilym was still completely amazed to remember that he would attend the Oscars in that year.

It was clear that he and his companions had participated in the project with great love and affection, doing their best to live up to all Queen's talent and trajectory, but now all this effort had caught the attention of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. And for Gwilym, it was almost impossible to believe that he had made a movie that was up for an Oscar.

Louisa, surprisingly, was calmer than her boyfriend, and all this time she reminded him that all would be well, that he and the boys were worthy of all that recognition.

So when it was time for them to return to Los Angeles, Louisa's heart was anxious. She said goodbye to Gwilym at the airport, he and Ben got on the same plane, while her flight would only leave later, but what comforted both of them was the knowledge that they would soon meet in the same place.

"Too bad Lou can't come with us," Ben lamented after their plane took off. "I haven't seen her since the Golden Globes."

"Well, she's busy with work," Gwilym justified, but thought a little more about the case. "And you could have texted, too."

"Well, in that case, I apologize." Ben was a little embarrassed. "I was also busy with work."

"The good thing about these events is having the opportunity to see each other again." Lee smiled and Hardy noticed much more behind that smile.

"You're very nervous about this Oscars story too, aren't you?" Ben guessed "I know it's something very big and chic, but I think it's a great honor for us to live this moment, so as the young people say, enjoy the moment."

"You're young too, Ben." Gwilym had to laugh at that.

"You understand what I meant." The younger one smiled.

After the trip, when Louisa was leaving at the airport in Los Angeles, she was surprised at what Gwilym was doing while he waited for her.

"Hi ..." She said uncertainly, dividing the look between her boyfriend and the camera phone "can you ..."

"Sure, sorry." Gwilym soon put the phone away, already satisfied with what he'd filmed. "How was your flight?"

"All right" she hugged him after recovering from the unusual surprise "what were you doing filming me?"

"Not much, I promise." He gave a smile that almost convinced her.

"It better be that way, Gwilym." She was a little more energetic.

"Yes, ma'am." He understood her and accepted her conditions.

They drove together to the same hotel, Gwilym eventually leaving her for a while, so she could rest enough to regain her energy. He took this time to post a little on Instagram, filling his stories with videos that he and Ben recorded on the plane and of course, Louisa's landing.

The next night, approaching time for them to leave, Louisa got ready quickly, as usual. The black dress had been chosen with Emily's help, the TARDIS necklace she'd gotten from Gwilym was around her neck and this time she would wear her hair down. Lou was smoothing some strands back into place when Gwilym interrupted her. She looked at him for a moment, flawless, a little odd without a beard, but still, her Gwilym.

"How can I help you, my love?" she said helpfully and in a good mood.

"Can you close my cufflinks?" he offered her the small shiny objects "please?"

"Sure." Louisa smiled, which made Gwil smile back.

He turned his fists up, watching in admiration his girlfriend's delicate fingers working .

"They're very pretty and elegant," Louisa complimented as she finished buttoning.

"Oh thanks" he smiled, looking at her and then the cufflinks "my parents gave me as a gift."

"Oh really? When?" she asked.

"For me to use in some fancy and important event, if that day would come" Gwilym squeezed the corner of his mouth nervously "and the Oscars is the most important thing for an actor ..."

"I know, it's very big" Louisa agreed, holding his hands "but you deserve to be here, don't forget that, just relax and have fun, but not that much!"

"Got it, Lou." Gwilym chuckled with relief.

"Really, it'll be all right," she reiterated, holding his face.

Gwilym seized the moment to get a kiss of comfort and gratitude, which Louisa eventually gave in to.

"Before we go, I can't miss the selfie opportunity," he announced happily.

"Another thing you have in common with my dad." She shook her head, but already positioning herself for the picture.

Louisa put a hand on Gwilym's chest as they smiled at the camera. A little later, they arrived at the event venue, passing the red carpet was more fun with the company of Joe, Ben and Allen. Louisa couldn't meet her parents and the rest of Queen as they took different paths, but knew she could see them later during the post ceremony party.

She and Gwilym took their seats, sitting side by side, preparing to attend the ceremony. It was exciting to see Queen live, as always, "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions" brought good memories and good feelings to Louisa, and made her realize how much she missed seeing them performing, and despite all these years, they were in excellent shape.

Louisa remained attentive to the ceremony, celebrating a lot with each nomination Bohemian Rhapsody carried. When Rami received the award, she even cried out of sheer pride.

"He did it again ..." she murmured to Gwilym admiringly.

He nodded, fully agreeing with Louisa. When it was over, she was reunited with the boys and Lucy and her family again. It was an unusual place for such a meeting, for Louisa herself to be there, but no matter what the place, what was gratifying was that Queen and the cast of the film were together, celebrating their achievements together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was Louisa's adventure at the Oscars! I hope it didn't get too repetitive because of the previous chapter. And now, what's next for our couple? Keep following, thanks!
> 
> Oh, I would like to ask you a little question. Some people commented that they would like to see Robert and Eliza's relationship in more detail. To do this, I thought of writing a story with few chapters, which I would post on Wednesday, instead of Avoiding the Inevitable, which would be updated only on Fridays. What do you think? Please tell me your opinion on this. Bye!


	44. A different experience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter may have minor spoilers for "Top End Wedding".

After all the international travel and glamorous awards were over for Louisa, she felt she was really used to it all. Maybe if she had to go through all this again, she would still feel a little bit of anxiety and apprehension, but in the end, when the time came, she was sure that she could handle it all.

Returning to her normal routine, Louisa continued teaching, answering her students' pertinent questions about what it had been like to attend the Oscars and the Golden Globes, as well as dealing with small discoveries she made on the Internet.

To keep up with so many media that she admired and, somewhat influenced by her students from a few years ago, Louisa kept a blog on tumblr and, after the success of "Bohemian Rhapsody" and all the awards, posts about it started popping up on her dashboard.

What scared her a little was seeing her pictures with Gwilym, either from the awards, or from their Instagram. From what Louisa found, the fans were calling them "Gwilou," a junction of their names that she found cute. To their relief, people there admired their relationship and some even asked respect for Louisa. Actually, there were several types of fans, thankfully among them, there were wise ones too.

In that time, when their routine was back to normal, another challenge from Gwilym for Louisa arose. Over the months, the "Top End Wedding" debut date came in the UK, and it is clear that Gwil was eager to share with his girlfriend this work for which he had such affection. When Gwilym proposed to watch the movie, Louisa felt the discomfort she imagined she would feel at that moment. With a sigh, gaining courage, and thinking of the right thing to do, she immediately told him what she was thinking she would feel watching the movie.

"Well, Gwilym, there's something I need to talk to you about ..." she hesitated and then decided to continue "about the movie, is that I saw the trailer for it and thought ... Kinda felt like ... It's weird to see you in a movie, since I know you so well ... Your character, he's so much like who you really are, but deep down I know you're different people, but my head gets confused, it's weird."

"Ah ..." Gwilym's excitement withered a little, but his eyes showed understanding. "It's that same feeling you felt seeing me as your father."

"Yes, yes, it's a bit like that, yes, but ..." She didn't want to make him sad "none of this is too big a problem to stop me from watching the movie with you, it's your profession, it's what you do and love to do, it's time for me to get used to it."

"Oh, Lou ..." he sighed and hugged her "I have nothing to say, you are wonderful to accept to do it for me, I love you."

"I love you too" Louisa laughed softly in her boyfriend's arms "there's just one more thing I'll ask you."

"Just tell me." Gwilym was willing to do her will.

"You don't have any free passes, or other such perks for watching a movie you worked on, do you?" she asked, "because I really want to go to the movies like a normal person."

"You'll be glad, my love," he glanced at her, "that knowing I have no differentiated benefit from making the movie, we'll have to pay our ticket and wait in line like everyone else."

"Great, perfect!" She gave him a satisfied smile.

So Louisa faced her challenge, but feeling so light and comfortable and happy, she was walking with her boyfriend in the mall, a privilege that was only for the teenage girls and, which she didn't expect to conquer, now belonged to her too and the best, It was that no one recognized Gwilym as her father would be recognized, which was a great relief.

Not even when they went to buy tickets did they recognize him as one of the "Top End Wedding" stars. So they took their seat in the armchairs, Louisa's heart was calm from the familiarity of the place, from so many other times she came to the movies with her family, but she sighed, trying to deal with the fact that she was about to see her boyfriend on that huge screen.

Gwilym, in turn, was beaming, completely excited to see the movie next to his girlfriend, as much as it was nothing new to him, curious to hear her opinion. When the projection began, all Louisa had to do was pay attention and dive into the story, a story that caught her attention.

At first she found the movie intriguing, starting with the runaway young bride, and then the transition to the lives of Lauren and Ned. Yes, it had been strange to see Gwilym there, much like as the man Louisa called her boyfriend, and kissing another girl, but the story of Lauren and her parents suppressed it, the Fords eventually reminded Louisa of her own parents. In the end, all that wedding mood ended up warming her heart and making her cry little tears of happiness.

They left the theater in relative silence, Gwilym was eager to ask questions while Louisa was still thinking about the movie.

"It was a lot better than I imagined," she said finally. "I confess it was strange at first, but the story is very interesting, completely different from the cliché of romantic comedies, and the whole theme of Aboriginal culture is great!"

"What about my performance?" He asked hesitantly in a high voice.

Louisa took advantage of the situation to play with him.

"You barely worked on this movie, didn't you, Gwil?" She smiled sideways "Ned is you!"

"I related with him a lot when I read the script." He shrugged.

"Well, that's really true, but seriously, you were great, really," Louisa said proudly, "those more dramatic parts made me want to cry with you and I know acting dramatically isn't easy, so here are my sincerely congratulations."

"Thanks, Lou." He stopped to kiss her cheek. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," she smiled back.

That was how Louisa was gradually becoming more comfortable watching Gwilym, watching her boyfriend turn into someone else in a competent and masterful way. If he'd been fantastic playing Brian, he still had that same quality in all his other roles.

Gwilym kept looking for a new job, doing more auditions, until he got a role that really demanded a lot of all his dramatic ability, and really, he hardly believed it when he knew he got the role. All that was left to him now before preparing to play the role was to tell Lou the big news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I didn't give too many "Top End Wedding" spoilers, I thought it was important to make this chapter about Lou getting used to seeing Gwil perform. Hope you enjoyed and see you next time!


	45. Chapter 45

Louisa said goodbye to her students at the end of class and walked to the front of the school, waiting for Gwilym, as she always did, waiting for his ride. Sometimes he was late here and there for reasons that came up, such as bad traffic or being busy with work, but it was only a few minutes. But today, it was taking longer than he used to, which made Louisa worried. Without hesitation, she texted Gwilym.

**LOUISA**   
_Where are you? Are you okay?_

She waited a little longer until he answered.

 **GWILYM**  
 _I'm finishing something from work. Sorry for the delay, would you mind taking the subway today? I'm really sorry_.

His continuing concern made her smile.

**LOUISA**   
_Don't worry, see you later. ❤_

Gwilym didn't answer anymore, but Louisa was calmer knowing where he was. So she took the subway and went home, minding her business, curious to know what Gwil should be doing, but sensible enough not to bother him with further questions, as he must still be busy.

Earlier in the evening, Louisa decided to pay a visit to her boyfriend, stopping by the "Haijing" restaurant to bring dinner ready for the two to share their meal together.

"Hi, sorry for today," he said as he opened the door for Louisa, kissing her cheek just then.

"Don't worry, really, I was just worried about the delay," Louisa said, "but after you said it had to do with work, I got more relaxed. So, do you have any news to tell me?"

"Yes, yes, you deduced correctly, my love" he sat in front of her, smiling excitedly "I was getting the last details of my new job, I was hired for six months."

"Six months?" Louisa was positively amazed "it's been a long time, that's good, Gwil, I'm so happy for you ..."

"But if I know you well, you'll be even happier with what work I'm going to do," he said tenderly, to make her guess.

"Oh ..." she got the message "was it a movie or show?"

"Uh ... I'm sorry to say you made a mistake." Gwilym pouted and made his girlfriend laugh.

"Oh!" Louisa pointed a finger at him "for your excitement is a play, something of a period drama."

"I knew you weren't going to disappoint me in the guesswork," he kissed her forehead as a reward. "That's it, for the next six months, I'm going to be in Julius Caesar's company."

"Wait, Shakespeare's play, "Julius Caesar"?" Louisa got as excited as her boyfriend "that's why you said I'd be happy, it's a historical play! It doesn't portray something so happy, but it's very interesting, and you love Shakespeare, so we're both very happy, aren't you, Gwil?"

"Yes, thank you for being happy for me, Lou." Gwilym gave her a smile.

"And who are you going to play?" she asked.

"Brutus" he replied in a little ironic joy, since he would make the villain of the story "I never thought I could pass the test, you know? Because he's the hardest and most dramatic character in the play and I got it."

"But of course you could, you're very talented!" She nodded with conviction.

"Thank you again ..." He gave her a shy smile and Louisa kissed him, glad for his achievements.

If Gwilym had a new job, that means Louisa had a little change in her life too. First, his ride was gone for a while, as he was rehearsing as she left school. The hitchhikers came back when the play's opening night came, and something else changed in Louisa's life.

Second, she attended the opening night, not sure if she could meet Gwilym backstage or not. Unintentionally, they hadn1t agreed to this before, and before the performance began, Louisa was afraid to disturb him, so she was content to wish him good luck mentally, hoping that Gwilym would feel how proud she was of him.

Glad to sit in a common place, Miss. May focused completely on the stage when she realized that the play was about to begin. As a great admirer of history and of the immortal talent with the words that Shakespeare had, she eventually drifted through the whole plot, the motivations and actions of each of the characters.

Seeing Gwilym in most of the scenes so dramatically and realistically made her forget that it was her boyfriend there, it was just Brutus, his traumas, his guilt, his remorse. For all that, the final scene was even more shocking, in the end she was clapping enthusiastically, doing justice to all the talent of the actors and the realism they all gave the story.

From a distance, Gwilym could see Louisa, he smiled with gratitude that she was there honoring him. He hoped to be able to meet her after the performance and to ensure that, he put a sudden idea into practice.

**GWILYM**   
_Don't go away, meet me at the main back exit_

Louisa heard the notification and checking her phone, smiled when seeing the message, already heading for the place that her boyfriend had indicated.

There were a lot of people in there still, eager to greet the cast, Louisa just watched it all while waiting for Gwilym to appear. All that commotion didn't bother her, even when so many people talked to her boyfriend and complimented him, he deserved it all and she wasn't being harmed by it.

"Lou!" finally Gwilym called her and she hugged him without hesitation "I'm glad you came."

"Did you really think I was going to miss my boyfriend's big debut?" she smiled "you were amazing! Everyone was, congratulations!"

"Thank you so much," he said.

So, Louisa pledged to go to every performance she could during the six months. Gwilym had proposed that they always meet at the exit at the end of the play, to leave together. Over time, the company's actors and some of the people who went to the theater often realized how close and united the couple was. Gwilym could see this when a girl who had often watched the play came to compliment him on his performance.

"Your acting is impeccable Mr. Lee" said the fan "and it's really beautiful to see how your wife is always present to see you, she's your wife, isn't she?"

Louisa was at Gwilym's side when she heard that and felt the same amazement as him.

"Well, I'm Mr. Lee's girlfriend, thank you for supporting his work" Miss. May used her best diplomatic side to get around the situation "and I agree with you, he's a great actor."

Mr. Lee, for his part, didn't know what to say, if he was grateful, if he felt embarrassed, if he apologized. What the girl said was certainly relevant, meant something to him and Louisa. For Gwil, maybe it was time to start considering marriage, but he wouldn't scare Lou with a sudden affair; finally, he decided not to broach the subject, just to let his girlfriend consider what they heard as the consideration of one stranger.

Since Louisa herself had settled the whole matter, she decided not to be shaken by that assumption, since she hadn't imagined for a long time in her life that she would be proposed to get married. If Gwilym asked, she would be willing to say yes, wholeheartedly, but that was up to him, and she wouldn't press him.

When he parked in front of Louisa's building, he only admired his girlfriend for a moment.

"Thanks for everything, Lou," Gwilym said, saying goodbye. "Good night, I love you."

"I love you too," she smiled, touching his cheek, kissing him good-bye.

"Bye!" he nodded, watching her enter the building.

Within Gwilym's heart, the certainty that he loved Louisa deeply welled once again, and it was the inevitable truth that drove him to consider that he wanted to live with her for the rest of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And yes, guys, that's what you thought! The wedding proposal is coming! Before that, I really wanted to make Gwilym perform in a Shakespeare play, I thought it was cool to be a period play because it also has to do with Louisa, who loves history. Well, let's see what Gwil will do in the next chapters! Bye!


	46. Thinking about the future

Gwilym continually pondered over the next few days what he had just realized. At first it was amazing, a little scary, but finally, he saw that all the love and union he felt for his girlfriend made sure that he would never want to marry anyone but Louisa May.

Moreover, their relationship was so well established and structured that it seemed that only the two of them had to go a step further, a step called marriage. To his mind, Gwilym knew that taking action on it would be up to him, he didn't want to scare Louisa with the request, but he really wanted to be sure she would accept. Given this situation, Gwilym knew there was only one way to know, and it was by asking the fateful question to his girlfriend. So he decided to clarify his mind a little more, as he was seriously considering this matter.

He called his father, which surprised Tom Lee, as much as Gwilym always called and they kept in constant contact, his father wondered why he had called his son so suddenly.

"I'm fine, your mother and I are" replied Mr. Lee to Gwilym "but is everything ok with you?"

"Yes, I'm fine, Dad," Gwil immediately reassured him. "I'm thinking of something very serious these days, and I wanted to know your opinion."

"Sure, you can tell me what it is." Tom eventually redoubled his attention in the conversation.

"Dad, I'm sure I want to marry Louisa, I love her so much, really, I just don't know what to do now" confessed Gwilym, apprehensive "of course I want to propose, and in a very special way I'm just afraid of scaring her, of thinking it's too early for this, or anything like that."

"I understand, Gwilym, but have you ever broached this subject, even unintentionally?" his father wanted to know more about it.

"Oh, between us, no" Gwil replied "but I really feel that, although it may be a little early for this, this is the right time to propose, I feel ready for this step, Dad."

"You really are ready," Tom confirmed, nodding. "But you're afraid Louisa isn't, or she thinks she's not ready."

"This is my fear, what do I do?" Gwilym was looking for an answer amid doubts.

"Well, it's been a little over a year since you guys been together, isn't it?" said Mr. Lee "discuss this with her, see if it encourages her to talk about the future and maybe you have a clue if she thinks about marriage too or not."

"Yeah, I think that's what I have to do and the best alternative," Gwilym sighed. "thank you, Dad".

"You're welcome, my dear, oh and Gwilym, if I may say so," Tom added. "I'm very glad you want to marry Louisa, she's a great girl and I like her very much."

"Thanks, thanks, Dad." Gwil's spirits increased a little. "That makes me happy, too, so I'll try to put your plan into practice."

" Good luck, my boy, bye son" Mr. Lee said goodbye expectantly for what would happen.

"Bye dad." Gwilym smiled as he hung up.

On second thought, he had another idea to put into practice what his father had suggested. It was Sunday afternoon when Gwilym called his girlfriend.

"Hi Lou, are you busy?" he asked.

"Hi, my love," she replied, smiling, "not really, I was going to watch a little of Victoria, but you can say what's on your mind."

"Oh I wanted to call you out, I just won't tell you where" he did a little mystery "actually, it's a very simple surprise, so I don't want to tell you now."

"Okay, Gwilym," his explanation made her laugh, "I'll wait for you here."

"See you in a little while, I love you," he said, ending the call.

"I love you too, bye," she hung up.

Louisa got ready and waited, then Gwilym arrived and, at a certain point in the route he was driving, she could figure out where they were going. Although London was as bustling as any big city, some peace and quiet could be found in St. James Park. Gwilym parked and proposed a walk to Louisa and so they walked together. Gaining courage, he decided how to begin the subject he wanted to deal with.

"Did you notice something, Lou?" he proposed to her to think.

"What exactly?" she was prompted.

"Well, it's been more than a year since we've been together and ..." Gwilym embarrassed a little, sighing to continue the subject "it has been a very wonderful year."

"I agree, it has been wonderful indeed," she sighed, delighted, "and I hope... From the heart, Gwilym, that it's the first of many."

"It will be, I really want it to be," he enthused, "I'm glad you want that, that's what I want too."

"I really want it" Louisa reaffirmed -"I love you so much."

"I love you so much, too." He smiled at her.

That was how, one way or another, without having to hear the exact words, if Louisa wanted to be with him for a long time, that would be ensured with their wedding.  


Deciding to propose to his girlfriend, Gwilym remembered people who would like to hear about this news. Of course his mother and siblings already knew, his father had told them without delay, but Gwilym didn't care, they were happy with his intentions to officially make Louisa part of the family. He only had to leave a message in the Bo Rhap Boys chat group.

**GWILYM**  
Hi guys, are you all right?

**RAMI**  
Hi Gwil

**BEN**  
What's up, Gwil?

**JOE**  
Alright Gwilym, what about you?

**GWILYM**  
With me everything is fine, I need to tell you something

**RAMI**  
OK

**BEN**  
You can talk

**JOE**  
Tell us now, Gwil!

**GWILYM**  
I'll propose to Lou

**JOE**  
OH MY GOD!!! Oh really?

**RAMI**  
Wonderful, Gwil!

**BEN**  
It's about time

**GWILYM**  
Hey, these things are complicated, I didn't mean to scare her, I wanted to wait a while

**JOE**  
But I agree with Ben, you have to do it soon

**GWILYM**  
Yes, I will, can I count on your help?

**BEN**  
Of course, we're here for this.

**RAMI**  
But do you already know how you will propose?

**GWILYM**  
Uh ... Not yet, but I know it has to be something very special

**JOE**  
Sure, Gwil, Lou deserves it

**RAMI**  
Have you talked to Brian about this yet?

**GWILYM**  
That's what I intend to do now

**JOE**  
So good luck, my friend, and call me to be the best man

**GWILYM**  
I'll think about your case XD thanks for the support, guys!

Then Gwilym made the next call needed to make his plans work. He waited for Chrissie May to answer him.

"Hello, Gwilym, I'm glad you called, how can I help you?" said Louisa's mother, as cordial as ever.

"Well, I needed to talk to you and Brian, Mrs. May, this is a very important matter,” he warned, “can I pay you a visit tonight?"

"Of course, of course," Chrissie agreed, "I'll be very happy to welcome you and Lou will come with you?"

"No, Mrs. May, I really need to talk to you alone, it's just me going,” Gwilym confessed, afraid of what Chrissie was thinking of all this.

"That's right, I see." Mrs. May nodded "so see you later, my boy, bye."

"Bye, Mrs. May, and thanks" Gwilym thanked her and hung up.

After all that, he had only to prepare for the evening, hoping that Brian and Chrissie would also like the news he would tell them.


	47. Planning the perfect proposal

When Chrissie May warned her husband that Gwilym would visit them that night without Louisa, the girl's parents soon found it strange, neither she nor Brian could imagine what would lead their daughter's boyfriend to make a sudden visit, which he himself had described, as very important. Before Mrs. May worry too much about this issue, Dr. May assured her that it should be nothing serious, maybe Gwilym wanted to know something particular about Louisa without her knowing, or talk about her in some other way, or maybe he just I'd like to talk to them alone about himself. Chrissie decided to stick to the last suggestion and wait for the best to happen.

Gwilym arrived later, as he had promised, and soon the Mays noticed his nervousness, he had a flash of euphoria and caution in his eyes, his hands were sweating, and aside from the time he went to the family home for the first time, Chrissie and Brian had never seen him like that.

"Are you sick, my dear?" Mrs. May deduced "I can make some tea for you to calm down, you are very, very nervous, what happened?"

"Yeah, I don't even know what to say ..." Gwil hesitated. "Maybe I should have some tea, if it's not too much trouble, Mrs. May."

"No, no no, I'll be right back" before leaving the room, she ended up kissing his cheek in an act of affection to comfort him.

"Sorry to ask, but your nervousness has to do with Louisa or not?" Brian stared at him, trying to find a clue to Gwilym's condition.

"Actually, yes, it's that I ..." he sighed deeply "it's not an easy thing to say, I'm afraid of your reaction, but I'm sure you will support me, it's just ... I'm still afraid, although I'm sure of what I have to do."

"Oh my God ..." Brian murmured while acknowledging all that behavior "you want to ask our permission to marry Louisa, is that it?"

"Well, that's it, that's exactly it." Gwilym laughed embarrassed, partly glad that he didn't have to talk, but also somewhat disappointed that he couldn't talk "I thought it was important to come talk to you as soon as I made the decision."

"And I'm so glad you came to talk to us, really." May gave him a comforting smile.

Gwilym just smiled back, hoping Mrs. May come back with the tea. It didn't take long, he quickly took the cup, taking a sip slowly, tasting the chamomile. He knew it was her favorite kind of tea, and that it really helped calm him down, he was feeling a lot better at the moment.

"Well, I can talk now," Gwil laughed at himself, but then straightened his stance, facing his girlfriend's parents, they looked at him with the usual kindness and that assured him that everything would work out. I came here today to say that I intend to ask Louisa to marry me, I love her so much, for sure, I want to be with her as long as I live, and I promise you to continue loving and caring for her, forever, I would be even happier if you would give me your blessing and your permission."

"But of course we do, Gwilym," Brian said, having the answer ready since he realized what Gwil wanted while his wife was processing it.

When Bri looked at Chrissie, she had almost the same sparkle in her eyes and wonder when he proposed to her 46 years ago.

"Oh God, my God, Gwilym, I'm sorry to be speechless ..." she was already starting to cry "is that I always dreamed that this day would come for my Lou, and you, you're so perfect for her, you're always so good for my girl, and makes me very proud, makes me extremely happy to know that you will marry her, so, yes, my boy, you have our permission."

As soon as Chrissie finished speaking, she offered a hug to Gwilym, who returned it with all affection, grateful to be so well accepted and loved by his girlfriend's parents.

With the permission of the Mays, all that was left for Gwilym now was to begin putting his plans into action for the request to come to fruition. He had a vague idea of how to make the request, keeping in mind that he had to do something as epic and remarkable as Brian's proposal to Chrissie, but also something that didn't embarrass Louisa, which was special and unforgettable. It was by watching Doctor Who, still discovering the episodes of the classic series, at a time when Doctor returns to Gallifrey to be tried by the Time Lords, that Gwilym could think of what he called "perfect marriage proposal to Louisa."

With all caution and dexterity, Gwilym went to Oaks Middle, at a time she knew Louisa would be in the staff room. With a little more effort, he managed to convince the math teacher that he needed to give his students an urgent message alone. His acting skills came in handy as the teacher eventually gave Gwilym room, leaving him with the class. When the students saw him, they were excited as usual, but they were also confused, then asking collective questions about what had happened and why he was there in a class that wasn't a Miss. May class.

"Well, I need your help to do something very important," he said when they fell silent and listened. "I'll ask your teacher to marry me." he got a little scared with the general commotion "but it's a secret, okay? She can't suspect anything. What I need you to do is that in the last class, when the bell hits, you don't run away or anything, wait a while, until Louisa is a little suspicious that you don't want to leave, then you show her some signs I'll give to you, then just meet us on the court. Well, this is your part, can I count on you?"

The response was as enthusiastic as when he told his intentions, cluttered "yes" appeared from all sides and overall, everyone was excited by the idea, very willing to contribute to that special moment. The next step Gwilym had to take was to see when Rami and Joe could come to London, as he also wanted to involve his bandmates in his big endeavor.

**RAMI**

_It will be a pleasure to help you, but what are you up to that you need us?_

**JOE**

_Never mind, Rami, it will be awesome and we'll be there for sure_

**BEN**

_It will be good to see you again_

**JOE**

_Oh I missed you too Benny_

**GWILYM**

_Back to the proposal, gentlemen, I'll explain everything in more detail when you get here, I promise, just come soon, as soon as you can_

**RAMI**

_We'll be there for sure_

**JOE**

_Yes sir captain_

With everything in place, with everyone involved knowing what they should do, including Mrs. Keylan, who was aware of what would happen at her school,it was left with only Gwilym to put the whole plan into action.


	48. The Trial in the Court

Louisa finished her class, taking a last look at the activities her students had done that morning, handing them back to them and now just waiting for the signal to leave, as they were also waiting. Everyone, including her, had her stuff ready and packed, but when the bell rang, unlike every other time when it was time to leave, none of the students ran, remaining quiet and virtually unresponsive, which Louisa found highly weird and suspicious.

"Guys, the bell rang" the teacher pointed out the obvious "won't you leave, huh? I need to go too ..."

That was when Louisa's speech provoked a reaction from her students, who were still miraculously silent and quiet. She saw some take something out of her bag, signs with something written, by her accounts were six little plates, but only one was raised. Louisa's eyes flew to the sign, eager to find out what was written.

**"WE CAN'T GO AWAY"**

"What do you mean, guys? - Louisa laughed "what kind of joke is this? Is it some kind of trick question or what? I don't understand anything."

Trevor held up a sign.

**"AN UNJUST TRIAL WILL HAPPEN"**

"Trial? What do you mean, trial?" The teacher was getting annoyed with so much mystery.

 **"ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT"** Another sign rose.

"Oh no, you're really kidding ..." She sighed in frustration.

**"FOLLOW US AND DO WHAT IS NECESSARY"**

"Follow? Where to?" she asked.

**"IT'S HAPPENING NOW ON THE COURT"**

"My God ..." She had been confused for good.

**"COME BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE"**

When Erin lowered the last sign, everyone got up and went together to the court, Louisa was forced to follow them, apparently, only then she would find out what this whole scheme was about. Arriving on the court, the History teacher was startled to recognize what was right there, a life-size TARDIS replica identical to Doctor Who's. As Louisa stepped closer, she saw that there were three distinct figures on their backs, dressed in white and red, with exaggeratedly large golden and red headdresses, was the costume of the Council of the Timelords.

So far, Louisa could imagine that this was a surprise act, perhaps made especially for her since the subject was Doctor Who, but for what purpose she couldn't deduce.

"Come no closer, Earthlings!" To Louisa's general astonishment, Ben Hardy had turned to her and her students, with all the fury he could use in his voice, his presence there and how he spoke scared her too much.

She preferred to obey and see what would happen. Her students were as glassy as she was.

"The jury is here," Rami Malek said in striking coldness, "bring the prisoner."

Then Louisa discovered that Rami was there and she was even more surprised. Probably the third timelord must have be Joe, and her deduction was confirmed as he turned forward, seeking the prisoner. If all three were there, that meant the fourth element of the play was Gwilym. And then Louisa's boyfriend appeared in that unusual act, sketching all panic and worry, but without losing his courage and determination, he was indeed an excellent actor.

"Here he is," Joe said with a scorn that didn't match his royal personality, another proof of his talent. "Here's Theta Sigma, but also known as the Doctor."

So it made sense to Louisa why Gwil was wearing a bow tie, short pants, jacket, shoelace boots and of course the unmistakable red fez. He was clean-shaven, his hair was parted like Matt Smith's in the show, Gwilym was playing The Doctor.

"Please have mercy" he begged in character "I can't be condemned, I have responsibilities to fulfill."

"Responsibilities?" Ben questioned angrily "your responsibility lies with your people, whom you abandoned, not with the Terrans and other creatures that you adopt along the way."

"Then let's make a deal, a deal that I swear I'll never break," the Doctor demanded, "and I promise you will never see me again."

"But what would be so strong as to take you from Gallifrey forever?" asked Joe.

"I'm sure I know what it is" said Rami with restrained anger "Louisa May, come closer."

The call startled Lou, who was completely attentive to everything, wanting to see what outcome the scene would lead to. She understood that the boys wanted to include her, so she just approached, waiting to see what they would do next.

"Louisa ..." Gwilym pleaded with her, pitifully, throwing himself at his knees on her feet !only you can save me, you're the reason to keep me right where I am, following my life the way I've been following, I just need to know if you ..."

He fumbled with his jacket, pulling out a sonic screwdriver. He grimaced at the sight of the object, storing it back in place. He patted his jacket again, finding what he wanted, smiling in a way that made him leave the character for a brief moment. When Louisa understood what her boyfriend had taken from her pocket and was pointing toward her, she gave a huge sigh, even putting both hands over her open mouth.

"Louisa May" Gwil called her very gently "do you want to be my companion forever?"

"Oh yes, I do!" Louisa said the answer her mind processed as soon as she understood what that meant.

Gwilym took her hand and placed the blue stone ring in the TARDIS tone in its proper place.

"I don't know what else to say, this is all ..." she said between sighs, holding back not to cry.

"You already said what I wanted most to hear " he held her by the shoulders "I love you Louisa, since we became friends and we have had a wonderful year together, and ... As much as it seems too early, I'm sure I don't wanna spend another day of my life without you."

"Ah Gwilym ... I love you ..." she whispered and in front of so many beautiful words, which left her not knowing how to respond in speech, led her to kiss him, a kiss worthy of leaving her students and friends satisfied, tears fell as she kissed him.

Gwilym hugged her around her waist, not believing that the woman he loved would soon become his wife. When they broke apart, and Louisa was temporarily recovered from the fright, she could think of what to say.

"Does that mean I was River Song in this story?" she asked playfully.

"Yeah, I think so." Gwilym nodded, smiling.

"Oh my love, that was perfect, so perfect ..." She replied, delighted "and you brought Joe and Rami here ..."

"Yeah, he insisted a lot for us to participate and here we are!" Rami explained, smiling "you deserve a special proposal, worthy of you."

"Oh you make me embarrassed like that" Louisa commented "incidentally, this is all Gwilym's fault, because a normal proposal would be good enough, but he ..."

"Exaggerated, right? I know,” Joe added, “and is this exaggerated guy you intend to marry?"

"There's still time to give up, huh, Lou!" Ben recommended.

"Never!" Louisa said categorically "I'm just saying that ... For a while I thought about being asked to marry, then thought it would never happen to me, and then when it happens, it is so genuine and unforgettable! Thank you Gwil, thank you guys, and thank you to my students who made me very suspicious!"

Hearing this, Louisa's students laughed, which made her laugh with them. Once again, she kissed Gwilym, so grateful to have him in her life and to know that he would soon become her husband.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the big proposal! This is full of references to Doctor Who and me, Rachel and Livia thought about this idea, hope they and you enjoyed it and see you next time!


	49. The Engagement

After Louisa recovered from her fright and her friends got rid of the garish time-lord clothes, she, Gwilym, and the boys had lunch together to celebrate their engagement.

"It's so good to see you two together, you make a perfect couple," Ben complimented them.

"Oh thank you," she replied, feeling flattered.

"Good thing you guys have become a couple, you can't believe it if you consider the day you met," Joe commented.

"Hey, what do you mean?" Gwilym was surprised by the statement.

"Oh Gwil, I think deep down you know what it is" Rami pursed his lips, holding back not to laugh "now that you have touched the subject will be too late to escape the explanation."

"Okay enough mystery" Louisa demanded a revelation "I think his fiancée deserves to know what you are up to."

"You always think we're up to something when in fact only Joe is up to something," Ben replied with some humor.

"So that's it, Benjamin?" Joe pretended to be hurt and angry.

"Okay, I think what the two fools mean is that ..." Gwilym sighed, turning to his fiancée "Joe said he felt a spark between us as soon as we just met."

"Wow ... That's ... Premature" Louisa described the situation "now I understand why you hesitated to tell me."

"But there is more," Joe added, receiving in response a grimace of indignation from Gwilym.

"What do you mean more?" Louisa urged him to speak.

"Gwil said he thought it was weird you two together and dating because ... You know" Rami replied gently "because he's just like Brian".

"Oh ..." She was impressed with the answer and looked at her fiancé, who was nervous about what she thought of it, she just laughed, disarming his nervousness.

"Now tell the joke because we didn't understand anything," Joe said.

"I thought the same thing as Gwil" she said, laughing "I even told him that when ... Just before we started dating, and that impression passed."

"To be honest, there's nothing weird about you two together, by the way, you two together are perfect," Rami commented on the couple, who thanked him for the compliments.

Not only were Gwilym's "band mates" happy, he and Louisa received all the Lees' warm congratulations without exception, but her siblings were so surprised that they wanted to celebrate with the engaged couple.

Emily was the first to suggest a dinner with Jimmy and his family, with Gwilym and Louisa as the guests of honor.

"I couldn't contain myself when she told me," Mrs. Alford told her future brother-in-law "I confess I laughed nonstop and then started crying because I always thought my Lou deserved a good marriage, and I repeat what I said about you Gwilym, I'm so glad to see how much you love my sister."

"Thanks, really thank you," Emily's words moved Gwilym.

"So my little sister agreed to get married!" Jimmy said "it's really exciting, for all of us, Lou, and by the way, Gwilym, you hid this secret from us very well."

"Sorry, Jim," Gwil apologized, "is that I wanted it to be a surprise and that she didn't suspect anything."

"And I didn't even suspect it!" Louisa said "when I saw Gwil and the boys playing that little play I couldn't know what they had in mind."

"Wait, little play?" Rory got the word weird "how was that proposal again?"

"Oh it was very unforgettable, Rory!" Louisa made sure to describe it that way, looking at Gwilym asking him to tell.

"We staged a trial, as if it were the Doctor being judged by the time lords," he said, and everyone paid attention.

"Which one?" Isaac was curious.

"The eleventh!" Gwilym said enthusiastically "my favorite."

"It's my favorite too!" replied Zac with the same excitement.

"So I was like the reason that made the Doctor stay on Earth in the story of the play, am I right, honey?" Louisa wanted to know.

"That's right," Gwilym confirmed.

"And then, there was no "will you marry me" she kept telling "it was just "do you want to be my companion forever?"

"How beautiful!" Emily admired.

"It's really beautiful and creative, something only Lou would understand, really special," Jimmy also approved of the proposal.

That was how, despite the big news and the big change in her life that was about to come, Louisa and Gwilym remained focused on their work, but without losing the focus and energy required to plan a wedding.

A week later, they were together in his apartment, deciding everything about the wedding.

"So, first of all, where are we getting married? London or Birmingham?" Gwilym started.

"Of course, your family would like to see you get married in Wales, wouldn't them?" Louisa was in doubt "but what happens is ... Most of the guests are from here, but I don't want to disturb your family either if they don't want to travel."

"In fact, Lou, I think they expect us to marry in London," he mused. "So it's decided for me to be here."

"Okay, we decided that, about the reception? I really want something small, not thousands of people I don't know and distant relatives I've never seen in my life,” she commented, laughing a little at the end.

"Yes, yes I agree, how about ..." Gwilym put a hand on his chin thoughtfully, "your parents' house? I think there is the ideal size to receive the whole family."

"Yeah, I like the idea," she nodded, "and I'm sure my parents will approve too."

"Okay, let's go to the next topic" he noted the reception place and continued "decoration?"

"Blue Tardis, please," she said for sure, "it'll have everything to do with us. Um, Gwil, I realize I'm deciding almost everything, the next choice is yours."

"Are you sure about that, Louisa May?" He got serious, joking.

"I am" she nodded. "I think it's fair, don't you? The wedding is yours too."

"It takes a groom to have a wedding." He shrugged.

Louisa laughed and he took the preparations list from her hands, taking a look at the next item on the list.

"The flavor of the cake will be ... White chocolate" Gwilym said and Louisa completed the last part with him.

They laughed together at the coincidence, and celebrated together for that decision. Overall, they agreed on almost everything, leaving the most crucial decisions in the end.

There was a special place for Louisa that she would like to show her fiancé. One Friday, after he had picked her up at work and they had lunch together, she guided him through the streets of Barnes as he drove.

"Are we going to visit your parents?" Gwilym tried to guess where his fiancée was taking him.

"Oh no, we can go there later, but I wanted to surprise you." She smiled mysteriously.

"Okay, that's fair," he shrugged his agreement.

They rode a little longer until she asked him to stop. Gwilym searched for a good parking spot and they then got out, standing on the sidewalk, admiring the church in front of them. He smiled to see that his fiancée had a very happy expression on her face as she stared at the entrance.

"Come on," Louisa said suddenly, pulling him by the hand excitedly and he followed her up the stairs.

The church was open but apparently empty, yet Louisa knew she could find who she was looking for if she went to the right place.

"My mother used to bring us here when we were children" Louisa explained to her fiancé "we sat right there on Sundays in the morning, without fail, my father made sure to accompany her."

"And people never recognized him?" Gwilym was curious.

"Oh yes, of course, sometimes," she confirmed, "but my dad was never a draw here, you know? He just sat and listened, sometimes whispered some constructive criticism about the band to my mother, but also never offered to play, he knew it wasn't his job, but he caught the attention of some children, because of his hairstyle..."

"I can imagine," Gwilym commented with a laugh.

His fiancée accompanied him, the sound they made caught the attention of someone else who appeared there.

"Excuse me, can I help you with anything?" asked a young man.

"Oh sorry, I ..." Louisa was a little embarrassed, but then recovered "anyway, I was looking for Minister Mason, is he here?"

"He's home now, but I can leave him a message, I'm his secretary, what do you need? Maybe I can help?" said the man, very helpful.

"Okay, I'm Louisa May and this is my fiancé, Gwilym" she said and the three shook hands "we would like to set a date for our wedding, I would like to get married here."

"Yes, I see" smiled the man "I can arrange it for you right now, come with me."

The secretary said and they followed him to the office.

"So that's what you had in mind," Gwil muttered to her.

"Did you like it? Or did you have other plans?" Lou worried.

"No, no, it's perfect, really, I loved it," he assured her, feeling relieved.

Together, the couple looked at the dates, choosing the one that best fit their plans. So it was decided that Louisa and Gwilym would be married in five months.

"Okay, that's all right," said the secretary, "and Miss. May, if you don't mind mr asking, you are the same Louisa, Mrs. Chrissie May's daughter, sister of Jimmy and Emily?"

"Yes, it's me" Louisa was surprised to hear no reference to her father "why?"

"Minister Mason remembers your family very dearly," the secretary explained.

"Oh I remember him very well" she smiled, happy to know that "send my regards to the minister and thank you for everything."

"Thanks." Gwilym shook his hand.

They said goodbye to the kind secretary, finalizing their plans and feeling the anxiety of their wedding day come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> I wanted to let you know that on the last 5th it marked a year since I started writing Through Chrissie's Eyes, to celebrate this, I would like you to write in the comments questions you would like to ask Brian and Chrissie from my stories. I'll answer everything, in a very different way, just wait. Thank you and bye!


	50. Family photos

If there was anyone extremely excited about Louisa and Gwilym's wedding, it was certainly the bride's mother. Though excited, Chrissie May was also sensible and sensitive, knowing her daughter well, she didn't push her with wild ideas for the wedding or bring up Lou's old fears of thinking that maybe no one would like her as she was, feelings that Chrissie herself experienced when she was younger. But the joy of seeing her girl happy with whom she loved didn't stop her. Mrs. May bring the whole family together to celebrate the great news.

After dinner on Saturday, she suggested to Brian that they invite the whole family to lunch with them the next day, which he immediately accepted wholeheartedly. Then it was only for the May matriarch to distribute the invitations through messages. To Louisa, she sent the following:

"Come have lunch with us tomorrow, Lou, and call Gwilym too"

Louisa, in turn, smiled when she saw the message, immediately understanding her mother's intentions, but deep down she was glad that Chrissie was always so caring and loving. So she soon accepted the invitation, calling Gwilym right away.

"Hi, my love, it's me," she said into the phone.

"Hi, Lou, how you doing?" Gwilym smiled at his fianceé's voice.

"It's all fine with me, Gwil," Lou replied. "I just wanted to know if you'll be busy tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? No, I'm not, why? Have any plans in mind?" he was curious.

"I don't, but my mom, she called us to have lunch with her and my dad tomorrow" she explained "by the way, the whole family goes too."

"Oh, it will be very good, tell your mother I will," Gwilym confirmed, "and I'll come and get you."

"That's a deal, then, I'll be waiting," Louisa replied, looking forward to the next day.

They talked a little more, beginning to sketch more details of their wedding, until they felt tiredness saying good night.

The next day, as agreed, Gwilym drove to the bride's apartment, driving to the Mays' house in Barnes, which was already so familiar to him. Really, after all that she had experienced with Louisa and her family, she didn't feel so nervous when she came in, he was practically family and soon officially family.

For Louisa, seeing the house of her childhood was always welcoming, and soon she would have a new home, her own home where she would build her life with Gwilym. It was then that she realized that they hadn't yet discussed this, where they would live after they get married.

"Gwilym," she didn't hesitate to call him to question him while on the way to her parents' house "I just thought something very important now."

"Yes, my love, what is it?" He was ready to hear her.

"Is that now that we are getting married, have you thought about where we will live?" She went straight to the point, but carefully.

"Well, I was thinking of broaching this issue with you after we got all the wedding details right." Gwilym was also sincere in replying. "I even thought about living in my apartment, but ..."

"But what?" Louisa was curious and worried about his hesitation.

"I want you to choose too, not only do I make the decisions alone, we'll get married and I believe that in order to have a good marriage we have to share our lives evenly," he explained patiently.

"Your apartment is great" she pondered "I think we fit perfectly there, me, you and my things, I mean, so it will take less work on the move and I'm already used to the place and everything, besides, buy a new property would create a debt too big to afford right now, so don't worry, Gwil, for me, is decided, I agree we have to make decisions together."

"So it's definitely set," he smiled, satisfied. "Only you will move then."

"And I don't care at all." She smiled back.

Approaching the house, Louisa soon recognized her siblings' cars and was more than sure that this would really be a family lunch.

"We always arrive later," Gwil commented playfully.

"Well, it's a habit I'm starting to lose, really," Louisa replied, thinking her fiancé had helped her get closer to her family.

When Lou opened the door, she was greeted by Isaac, who smiled when he saw his aunt.

"I'm glad you arrived," said the young man, "Grandma was already getting impatient."

"No, she's kind of patient." Louisa giggled.

"Well, then, let's not make her wait any longer," Gwilym summed up the conversation.

"You're right, Uncle Gwil." Isaac smiled and they went into the dining room.

Looking at the empty seats, the same memory crossed the grooms' minds, it was exactly where they had sat the first time they had dinner together when Chrissie and Brian had invited Gwilym over a year ago.

"There they are, the engaged couple!" Emily announced, which caught her sister's eye.

"Emily, that was unnecessary." Louisa scowled.

"That's no problem, Lou," Gwilym relented. "Hi, guys!"

"Hi Gwilym, please, sit down with us, come daughter" Brian invited them to sit down and that's what they did.

They ate together, talking and laughing, listening to everyone's business, until Chrissie came up with a curious question.

"Gwilym," she called, and Gwil looked at her, "how did you ask Lou to marry her if you don't mind answering? I would really like to know, I heard it had to do with Doctor Who."

"Who said that?" Louisa was curious too.

"Well, maybe it was me," Isaac confessed, "Uncle Gwil told us."

"All right, I tell you." Gwilym laughed at everyone's enthusiasm. "So I was seeing the judgment of the Sixth Doctor, Colin Baker, and then I had this idea of the Doctor on trial, in the custody of the timelords."

"They were played by Rami, Joe, and Ben," Lou interrupted, adding, "and they were scary, so angry they made me pity Gwilym."

"Really?" Her fiance was surprised "Good to know that my love, so I stepped in, begging them to let me stay on Earth, to be with my one true love."

"Which is me," Lou felt embarrassed to say, "it was very exciting, so after all the acting, he asked if I wanted to be his companion forever."

"How beautiful, really, and a very creative idea," Chrissie complimented, impressed.

"Well, the perfect wedding proposal," Louisa praised even more.

"As striking as mine!" her mother added, looking at her husband in love.

"True, my flower, that's true!" Brian agreed with his wife "that also reminds me ..."

He spoke and got up, fetching something that even Gwilym had correctly deduced what it was: the May family album. He didn't mind seeing the same pictures as before and still saw a few more he hadn't seen. It brought a different emotion to Gwilym, he was learning about the family history that was about to become part of it. And of course of all the photos, he was more attentive to everything that had to do with Louisa, her baby photos, child photos and the stories behind them.

"Can I ask about this one?" He questioned about a particular photo, with some fear.

"No problem, Gwilym." His father-in-law smiled at him.

The picture was of Chrissie standing, her long brown hair falling over her shoulders, she was eyeing her little girl, a light-haired baby, blue eyes in the same shade as Brian's eyes, the little girl looking at the camera curiously.

"This is Louisa, isn't it?" asked Gwilym, "she looks so young here, and you took that picture, didn't you, Brian?"

"Yeah, I took most of the photos from this album" old May smiled proudly "but Chrissie took some, this is Lou with a few days of birth."

"She was cute," Gwil played, even a little embarrassed.

"Oh Gwil, you're the cutie talking like that," his bride complimented.

He flipped through the album some more, seeing pictures of Lou playing with her siblings in the snow, sleeping on her mother's lap in the studio, at her high school graduation, next to her grandma Maggie. In all of them, Gwilym noticed the lovely and determined young woman who had become his fiancée, he hoped to be by her side, sharing and giving her happy moments worthy of being part of the album he and Louisa were building in their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was another cute chapter with the May family being cute. Hope to see you for the next chapter, thanks for reading! Just one more warning, Wednesday I'll be posting new chapters here, so stay tuned on Wednesday and Friday, okay? Thanks for reading!


	51. The Inevitable Eternal Promise

Gwilym was still a little sleepy when he heard a buzz in his room. The noise of people talking was normal, as he was hosting his family in his apartment, which was big enough to receive everyone. The occasion for everyone to be there was his wedding, which would take place later that day. However, he was surprised by the noise coming from his own room, so when Gwilym's mind woke up, he thought it could only mean one thing.

"Oh, won't you leave me alone even on my wedding day?" he muttered irritably, staring at his brother right in front of him.

"Hey, it's not my fault," Owen defended himself. "It was Rhia and Gerry's idea."

It was true that Owen wasn't alone there, his other two siblings kept him company.

"We just came to wake you up to start your big day, to wish you the best wedding ever and that all goes well, starting with you not being late" Rhiannon explained.

"Okay then, thank you, I think." Gwilym still found that strange and confusing, but he understood hia siblings' intentions, checked the clock on the nightstand, and thanked God he wasn't late "I'll meet you guys soon, okay?"

"Sure, fine," Gerraint agreed, and everyone left leaving Gwilym at ease.

Maybe the groom's siblings were as excited as he was. Gwilym had breakfast with his family, receiving words of comfort and a few more jokes from Owen, but it all only reminded him of how happy his family was for him.

Louisa, in another part of London, was dealing with the beginning of her big day alone. She and Gwilym had agreed that it would be best not to meet before the time of the ceremony, as well as having their own affairs related to the wedding, was a romantic proposition. She also preferred to tackle some details on her own, such as taking the final test of her dress.

She went to the seamstress without the company of any friends, maybe Rory or Rhiannon would offer to go with her, but Louisa had really chosen to go through this alone, having the space and privacy to live all those emotions, to deal with them.

She then returned home, made the last necessary calls, and only then began her long journey to the ceremony. Emily, Rory, and Chrissie appeared, making a point of being present at the moment in Louisa's life that the three of them had expected and dreamed as much as the bride. The bride, in turn, allowed herself to be spoiled and pampered by her mother, sister and sister-in-law, grateful for the affection each showed.

With a message on Chrissie's cell phone coming from Brian telling her that he was waiting for Louisa, they all went down to meet him. That was when the bride felt embarrassed, the people around her who occasionally passed the building watching her, as she was all dressed up and being the center of attention without that intention made her even more nervous.

"Don't worry, my dear," Chrissie took her daughter's hand. "It'll be all right, this is your day, and we're all so happy for you."

"I know so, thank you mommy." Lou smiled gratefully and as she walked, she could hardly believe she was about to get married.

A long time ago she had pushed people away, to the point that no one would approach her for who she really was, or would only come close just because of her father, but Gwilym had been different. He loved Louisa for being simply herself and she loved him for the same reason, for gratitude, for her huge heart. She didn't want to cry, but it was inevitable to stop some tears. The impossible was becoming real.

Meanwhile, Gwilym had already arrived at the church, along with his family, welcoming the incoming guests, Freddie, John and Roger came with their whole family, Justin, Jimmy and Isaac arrived next. The groom run, thrilled to see Maggie Mullen coming, he made sure to pick her up.

"Hello, Mrs. Mullen" he greeted her happily "thank you very much for coming, I assume it was a tiring trip."

"Yes, but it sure will be worth it," she replied with a smile, squeezing his cheek lightly.

Maggie joined her grandson, and then more guests arrived who were also able to thrill Gwilym. His old "bandmates" and Lucy were there, and of course Allen and Jessica, after all Leech had become a fellow and honorary member of the "band". Gwilym hugged each other, grateful for their presence.

"You agreed to come together, didn't you?" he said amused to the group.

"Yes, to keep the tradition of the band all together" Rami answered by all "how is everything going?"

"It's okay, yes," Gwil nodded. "I'm just a little nervous, but it's natural, isn't it?"

"I thought you were used to it," Joe commented. "You got married in a movie, didn't you?"

"Believe me, smarty boy, it's not the same thing." The groom has laughed at the unoriginal joke.

Gwilym accompanied them to their seat and then returned to his place beside Minister Mason, barely counting the moments to meet his bride. He felt his heart pounding as he recognized the distant figures of Rory, Emily, and Chrissie climbing the church stairs. That meant Louisa had just arrived too.

Before Chrissie entered the church, she kissed her daughter's cheek, wishing her all the best. Brian straightened his stance and then stood next to his middle daughter, his Lou, his smart and shrewd little girl, who held his neck tightly when he picked her up, the sharp-toned young lady, the smart, brave, kind woman that had grown and would now be the wife of someone whom Brian loved as a son. As much as his little daughter was grown up, he was sure everything was falling into place.

"I'm ready if you are." Brian smiled, joking a little to deal with his own nervousness.

"I am, Dad, more than ready," Louisa said, completely determined.

She gripped her father's arm tightly and slowly, they climbed the stairs. Gradually, like the sun rising over the horizon, Gwilym saw his beloved bride appearing. She was radiant, her light hair falling loose in curls over her shoulders, a delicate tiara was over her head. Her white dress was cut shoulder to shoulder, and so long that the hem brushed lightly across the church carpet. Lizzie came walking in front of them, letting petals fall to the floor of her flower basket, the little girl was completely focused on her role, even though she was smiling in a very cute way.

Louisa pursed her lips in anxiety as she saw Gwilym so close, waiting for her. He was more elegant than usual, wearing the dark suit with the bow tie, which he had insisted on wearing to be a reference to the eleventh Doctor. He had grown a beard again, remembering the old jokes of looking too much like Brian. Beside him were Joe, Rami and Ben, it was impossible to choose just one to be the best man so the three along with Owen and Gerraint shared the role.

"Keep taking care of her, Gwil," Brian told the groom as soon as he and Louisa finished the crossing.

"With all my heart, I promise so," he answered seriously and then looked at the bride.

They didn't exchange words, but their glances at each other were extremely significant. Before offering his arm to her, he kissed her hand gently, and only then did she hold tight to his arm, sighing. Then the bride and groom turned to the minister.

"Hello, everyone, and welcome to the house of the Lord," Mason said cheerfully. "One fine day, Louisa May and Gwilym Lee met, got closed to each other, and the true love that unites them welled up in their hearts and it's for this love to remain alive and lit that they made the decision to unite forever in holy marriage. Now I ask you to look at each other."

Gwilym and Louisa obeyed, unable to contain their smiles, because they were right there, about to do what their hearts wanted most.

"Louisa" Mason called the bride "do you accept Gwilym as your husband, to love and honor him, in adversity or better times, until the end of your life?"

"I do," she said firmly, keeping her resolve.

"Gwilym" it was Mason's turn to address him "do you accept Louisa as your wife, to love her and honor her, in adversity or better times, until the end of your life?"

"I do," he said wholeheartedly, in a soft voice.

"Well, that was the first part, and I'm very happy to hear that answer," the minister went on, "now I ask for the rings, please."

It was the cue of George and Bernie who would share this task. The two brothers walked side by side, with the same observance of their sister, being careful to walk at almost the same speed. Mason reached out to them, taking the boxes from their hands, and then handed them to the bride and groom.

"Louisa, repeat what I say, please," the minister asked her and the bride nodded.

Gwilym then extended his left hand to receive his wedding ring. Before Louisa spoke, she noticed something special about the ring, the name of his beloved engraved on her handwriting, an idea he had and couldn't tell her until that moment. He noticed when she was surprised to find her own name on the ring, but even impressed, she remained focused.

"Gwilym, giving you this wedding ring," she said, reproducing Mason's words, "I marry you, uniting to you my life and my heart forever."

She smiled as she finished speaking. Mason gestured for Gwilym to take the wedding ring he would give the bride. For a moment he noted the gems on the ring, which formed a cursive G, a clear reference to the first letter of his name, something Louisa made a point of asking in her wedding ring, so that she would always remember her husband.

"Louisa" Gwilym called her, completely in love, making her heart beat even stronger "giving you this wedding ring, I marry you, uniting to you my life and my heart forever."

"So, by the will of God and the couple, I declare you husband and wife." Mason smiled as he looked at the couple. "You can kiss the bride, Gwilym!"

Gwilym smiled anxiously, Louisa leaned toward him, and when their lips touched, he was almost sure she had started that kiss, but it didn't hurt, maybe she was as eager to kiss her husband as he was anxious to kiss his wife.

With much joy, everyone applauded and was extremely happy to see that finally, despite so many things and after so long, the pair that had been made for each other became Mr. and Mrs. Lee at that sacred moment.


	52. A special garden

With all the excitement and joy that they had for just geting married, Gwilym and Louisa went to his car. He opened the door for his wife to enter, helping her settle into the seat beside him. Outside, around them, guests were still throwing flower petals and rice.

"See you later!" Gwilym shouted from the car window, honking as he left the guests behind.

He drove carefully, and occasionally smiled at Louisa, his beloved, the woman of his life. She was still processing everything that had happened, it really was wonderful and unforgettable, hard to believe she had found someone like Gwilym and married him.

"So that's it," she sighed, somewhat breathlessly, saying out loud to convince herself, "we got married."

"Yes, we got married," Gwilym reaffirmed, knowing that he would never regret that decision.

They exchanged a smile of pure joy and gratitude for being part of each other's lives from then on. They ended up arriving shortly after most of the guests, being greeted by them again, clapping, cheering and whistling. The little Lees was the first to greet their new aunt.

"It was very beautiful, Aunt Lou, I enjoyed your wedding very much" Lizzie said hugging her waist, looking up.

"Oh thank you Lizzie, I thank you for making everything prettier with the flowers in the hallway" Louisa winked at her and kissed her cheek, which made the girl laugh softly "and of course, thank you George and Bernie, your work was also essential."

"You're welcome, Aunt Louisa," George answered and his brother nodded.

"I hope the kids aren't bothering you." Gerraint came to take a look at the children, knowing they could be mischievous.

"Not at all," Gwilym denied to his brother, "they are angels."

It was only Uncle Gwil saying this that the children ran out of a scolding, confirming what their father had just said.

"Well, anyway, I came to congratulate you." Gerraint turned his attention to the newlyweds. "I wish you both great happiness."

"Thanks, Gerry." Louisa smiled.

Soon after, it was Tom and Ceinwun's turn to greet their new daughter-in-law.

"Welcome to our family, daughter." Tom took Louisa's hands. "I'm so glad Gwilym chose you."

"I am privileged that he chose me," she confessed, looking fondly at her husband.

"You look so beautiful" Ceinwun hugged her without ceremony "I know you will be very happy."

"I know so." Louisa nodded.

A little later, Louisa and Gwilym settled down, sitting in a prominent place where all the guests could see them. Without further ado dinner was served and everyone enjoyed it together. For a brief moment Gwilym paused, staring at a specific spot in the yard. Louisa soon noticed this and was curious, starting to deduce what was going on in her husband's head.

"I think I know what you're thinking," she muttered so only he could hear.

"Oh ..." he smiled, impressed "what I'm thinking, Mrs. Lee?"

Louisa felt her heart warm as she heard the way he called her, she was still starting to get used to her new surname and what that meant.

"Our first kiss happened right there, I can never forget that." She nodded toward the garden.

"That's right, that's exactly what I was thinking," he nodded.

"Yeah, I know, but I didn't remember that when I suggested the house for the party, I think it was something of my unconscious," Louisa mused.

"I'd say it's completely romantic, Mrs. Lee"Gwilym smiled at her, taking advantage of the proximity to kiss her.

As much as there was a buzz of guests in every corner and not all of them were paying attention to the couple at that moment, their friends noticed their small display of affection.

"Sometimes it's hard to believe, isn't it?" Ben ended commenting and everyone at the table turned their attention to him.

"What do you mean, Ben?" Allen asked him, wanting clarification.

"Gwilym's great coincidence of loving Brian's daughter, who was who he played in the movie," Ben explained better. "

"Well, if you stop to think, the same thing happened to us" Lucy exemplified, looking at Rami.

"Maybe it's like they say, Ben, love comes when we least expect it," Joe added, "and to be honest, that's what happened with Gwil and Lou, they seemed so reluctant at first, but look where they got."

"Reluctant? No, they had been crushing on each other since Lou started hanging out with us" Rami had to correct.

"I think only they didn't realize it that soon," Lucy deduced, "but not too late."

Recalling the couple's trajectory made Joe even happier with his friends and get an idea.

"Hello people!" said Joe Mazzello in front of the couple, crouching at the end of the table like a child and with a childlike look.

"You came just in time, Joe!" Louisa ended up playing his game.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to ask you a favor" Joe got a little more serious.

"Of course, asking so politely, there's no denying from me," Gwilym conceded.

"I wanted to make a little speech in honor of you, but only at a more convenient time." Joseph was humble and sincere in asking.

"Yes, of course you can, Joe" Louisa authorized, finding a nice gesture on his part "I think now would be a good time if you're ready."

"I'm always ready" he winked at her "thanks."

"You're welcome, and save those winks for your own girlfriend," Gwilym teased him. "Lou is already married."

Joe scowled and positioned himself in the middle of the garden.

"Guys, excuse me!" Mazzello raised his voice and gestured for attention "I would like to say a few words, I didn't prepare a speech itself, but the emotion of the moment asks me to express myself and honestly, I can't contain myself."

His last sentence drew laughter from the audience.

"Good," he went on, clearing his throat and taking a more serious stance. "I'd like to start by saying this wedding is weird, don't get me wrong, Gwilym will understand what I'm referring to when he approached Louisa, he thought it would be strange for both of them to be more than friends, but no one chooses who they will love, sometimes love can be very confusing, but I'm glad that everything has cleared up for my friends, because you left all the silly impediments behind and gave each other a chance, which is what built one of the most beautiful relationships I've ever seen. Stay together, my friends, I love you!"

Joe looked proudly at his friends, which thrilled them to the point of making them cry. Louisa and Gwilym thanked him and hugged him. Just then, Brian took advantage of the cue, fetching his guitar and already positioning himself to play and sing.

"And there he goes ..." Chrissie commented next to Emily, already knowing her husband very well.

"I hope you don't mind, Lou," Brian said carefully, hoping she wouldn't be embarrassed by his presentation. "But I've been working on something special for you and Gwilym for the past few weeks, this is my gift to you."

Brian then introduced his newest composition "Walk with Me", which he had made especially for the wedding, expressing what he found most beautiful about his daughter and son-in-law's relationship.

"It's very beautiful, Dad, thank you" Louisa went to Brian, kissing her cheek in thanks.

"Ah Brian, since you started the line, let me continue with the show" Freddie said, which surprised Louisa.

"You too, Uncle Freddie?" she asked.

"Because, my dear, that's what you got for being part of a family of musicians," he shrugged. "In fact, my song needed a piano."

"We won't carry a piano!" Roger shouted, answering for him and John, who laughed softly beside him.

"Despite your offer of help, Rog, a keyboard will do," Freddie countered.

Emily soon solved the problem by bringing her old keyboard into the garden with Justin's help. With everything in place, Freddie played "Inevitable Love," which was about his view of Louisa and Gwilym's relationship.

As one of Lou's uncles at heart, Freddie knew and felt her difficulties in opening herself and letting people get close, and he was immensely glad to see that she too had found her great love. When he finished his performance, everyone clapped and the most sensitive had even cried.

"All right guys, I think the band is free to play" Louisa cleared the space for her father and uncles.

Queen sang songs of them and other artists, her favorite and the favorite of the couple, with Freddie and Brian playing. Soon pairs formed, dancing and taking up the yard space.

Eventually they ended up playing "Love of My Life," a harmonious singing of the guests followed the band, and Gwilym kissed his wife's hand, silently inviting her to dance. Without hesitation, Louisa positioned herself, holding her husband's arms gently. Following each other's rhythm, they swayed in harmony, nothing in the world could separate them.

"I love you so much, Lou," Gwilym whispered to her.

"I love you too," she sighed. "Thanks for everything, Gwilym."

"I thank you, Mrs. Lee.” He touched her face, and kissed her once more.

That kiss would be etched in their memory, as would the kiss that sealed their union earlier that day, and the first kiss that happened in that very special place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The songs that were mentioned in this chapter are written by me and you can here them here.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETmAflEhVI8
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6i4cQ0z_FU
> 
> The songs were a suggestion by Wiggles91. Hope you enjoy it all!!


	53. The first journey

When Louisa woke up, her eyes kept opening, tiredness still slowly leaving her, and besides, the place she was in was too inviting to get up. She was snuggled against Gwilym's chest, his arms around her, delicate yet firm. Only then did she open her eyes to check if he was still sleeping.

It seemed that yes, his expression was peaceful and quiet, his eyes closed, his breathing deep and rhythmic, Louisa took advantage and was a little quieter, extremely happy.

It was still amazing to imagine that everything she had experienced so far was real, she was now Gwilym's wife, and it was too wonderful, her mind was still slowly getting used to the idea, but everything around her helped her just accept the new change in her life, just enjoying all that it was bringing.

Gwilym finally moved, a little sharper than Louisa had expected, which startled her a little, but soon she made a mental note that maybe that was how her husband woke up.

"Hi, Lou, good morning ..." he yawned, speaking in a low voice, somewhat apprehensive to feel that she shuddered when he moved.

"Good morning," she replied with a smile.

"Sorry if I woke you up, sometimes I move at once and ... Well, I didn't mean to wake you up," Gwilym soon apologized.

"No problem, my love, it's all right" Lou didn't care "I had already woken up a while ago, I didn't want to wake you up, but that's good, we better get going if we don't want to miss the bus."

 She remembered their appointments for later.

"Are you sure we're that late?" Gwilym complained casually "we can't stay another five minutes?"

"Okay, I didn't want to get out of here anytime soon" Louisa confessed, laughing softly.

"I knew it, I knew it!" Gwil celebrated, filling her forehead with kisses.

Louisa reached over to kiss him, only then did she get up, hurrying out of the room, but despite all her excitement, she waited patiently for her husband.

They were in a small hotel in Hampton, their first honeymoon stop. They had come to town the day before, the night after their wedding party. They would spend the day exploring the place, Louisa intended to show Gwilym all her favorite places there. It had been her idea to go on a great trip around the UK, exploring every little corner in a simple but fun way, just enjoying each other's company.

They ate their breakfast, packed their luggage and began their journey of exploration, walked until their legs got tired, taking a bus to a well-known neighborhood of Louisa. After walking a few more blocks, they got to where she wanted to go. Gwilym was intrigued when his wife suddenly stopped in front of a simple house, with low front walls made of stone, the white façade an old but well-kept house. With patience, he waited for Louisa's explanation.

"This is my grandparents' house," she said at last, in a mixture of joy and longing.

"Oh I got it, you must have amazing stories about them and this house" Gwil smiled, sympathetic to his wife's feelings "you told me a little of them."

"Yeah, I miss them so much," she sighed, which made Gwilym move closer, wrapping her in his arms to comfort her. "Right there we played with Grandpa Harold, and Grandma Ruth liked to sing to make us sleep, my mother had already gotten used to this habit. I only regret that we can't enter, the house was sold a long time ago."

"It's a pity, but I can feel how special this place is, just for what you tell." He kissed her cheek, reassuring her.

"Well, let's moving" Louisa rubbed her eyes quickly, recovering from memories.

It was then that they went to the beach and Gwilym smiled like a child as soon as they got there.

"Here's something else I found out about my husband," she teased, giving him a slight elbow move.

"What do you mean? I think I like the beach as much as you do!" Gwilym told her like a mischievous boy.

All that behavior made Louisa kiss him, so happy that he had this peculiar way. They found a good place to sit next to each other, admiring the beautiful sea in front of them. She just leaned against her husband's shoulder, who put an arm around her shoulders, they cuddled together, and stayed like that for a while, until they admired the sunset, which was as beautiful as Louisa remembered.

The Lees continued their journey at night, following the entire coast of England, where Gwilym enjoyed other beaches, diving into the sea with his wife.

They made their way to Leeds, visiting Grandma Maggie once more, making their long walks hand in hand. From there they crossed the territory a little further, catching a plane to Cardiff.

It wasn't the first time they had ever been to the capital of Wales, Louisa had visited the city with Gwilym on another occasion when he had presented Cymru Bafta, but now, out of the rush and elegance of the awards, they had more time to know the city itself.

Gwilym knew the place a lot better than Louisa, so he introduced her to the spots he knew, and together they found new ones. They continued the journey from town to town, from place to place, creating memories, and of course, photos, choosing corners that were so lovely that the couple knew they would return there on another occasion.

That was when his last stop before returning home was approaching, Birmingham was no longer so far away, but before they reached Gwilym's hometown, he changed his path a little to his wife's astonishment.

They had taken a taxi to some extent and then a bus to a small rural area on the border of the two cities. When they finally reached the ground and walked, Louisa decided it was time to protest.

"Okay, smarty guy, I don't know what you're planning, but it's not right to confuse your wife so much." She stepped in front of him, her hands on her hips and in hrt tiptoes, her head raised inches away from his face.

"Not even if I wanted to surprise you? I thought you enjoyed adventures, my wife!" Gwilym stole a kiss from Louisa's cheek.

"And I do! Well, I think it's only fair that you surprise me, I've done it to you" she saw that it was foolish to argue.

"Just come with me, my love, please." Gwil offered her a hand and she held it.

They walked a little farther to where he wanted, a small hill, and from above, you could see all the surroundings, the farms, the animals, some people. It was a beautiful sight. When Louisa realized, Gwilym was already sitting on the floor cross-legged, she sat unceremoniously beside him.

"Do you know what that reminds me of?" she said, resting her head on her husband's shoulder.

"What?" he was curious.

"You're acting like Ned in Top End Wedding, I told you you're very much like him." She looked at her husband with a mischievous smile.

"Ah I'm happy with this comparison, a sign that you liked the movie ..." he laughed "but it's good you have talked about it, I remember that when I was in Darwin and Tiwi, looking at that beautiful place, I remembered you, I really wanted to show you Australia ..."

"I'd love to, but not now," she gave Gwil an understandable smile. "You know, we just got married and I didn't want to generate a big debt right now, but in time, with more savings and planning, it's going to be a pleasure to know one more beautiful place by your side."

"Thanks," he said and kissed her.

They ended up lounging on the grass, taking a break, unwilling to leave for a while. It was simple but perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Christmas gift to you is this cute chapter, I loved writing this. Merry Christmas to all of you, hope you have a wonderful day, with peace, love and harmony, thank you very much for your presence here and always reading my stories.


	54. The new among the old

Gwilym and Louisa's trip had been fruitful, fun, a journey that neither of them would easily forget and marked the beginning of their marriage, yet it was very tiring. Before returning home, the couple made a special stop in Birmingham, visiting his family, as they had already agreed.

"Don't get me wrong, but you really look tired" Mrs. Lee commented, watching his son and daughter-in-law regain their energy with some tea "how long did your trip last?"

"About half a month, Mom, and yeah, we're tired, but ..." Gwilym smiled at his wife. "It was very worth it."

"I have to thank Gwil for liking my ideas! Louisa pondered "I thought he would think I was crazy to travel from one corner to the other instead of being in one place ..."

"It's different, I admit, but that's what made the trip special and unique," Ceinwun opined, "no matter if it's unusual, what matters is that you both enjoyed it."

"Thank you, Mrs. Lee" Lou smiled at her mother-in-law.

Only then did they return to London, and their well-deserved rest came. It didn't take long for Louisa to get used to her new home or for Gwilym to get used to her constant company. Gradually, Mrs. Lee was decorating their house with her belongings and her favorite photos. Most of them came from their trip, just Gwil and Lou together, with the places they passed as a backdrop in the background.

Louisa was on vacation from work, as the school year was about to end and she had just married. Under these conditions, she spent more time at home while Gwilym devoted himself to his new job. That was when the last day of the school year arrived and so she probably wouldn't teach the same students anymore, but would still see them at school, out of class the following year. Still, this class was very special to her, they had clung to the teacher, and she to them, and everything they had together, including seeing her relationship with Gwilym.

In the last history class, she finished all her assessments and left her students with some free time, she already missed them.

"Excuse me," she heard her husband's voice ask, which made her startle a little, scared as she expected no visit from Gwilym for that day.

"Hi, my love, what are you doing here? Don't get me wrong, but I hope it's not because of an emergency or something" she really got suspicious.

"Louisa, calm down" Gwilym ended up laughing softly at her behavior, even fearing she would be mad at him for it "I just came to say hi to the kids, it's your last day of class with them, you mentioned that and well, I came to say hi, I wanted to ... say goodbye, I think."

"Oh that's all right, I liked the surprise" she sighed, relieved "well, so feel free to talk to them!"

"Right" he gave a short smile and positioned himself in the same place months ago when he gave his talk about Shakespeare "Hi guys, I thought to surprise you and talk a little with you!"

The class was as receptive as ever, making a little fuss but finally responding to Gwilym's greeting.

"I just wanted to say thank you for everything you did for me, for helping me with the proposal and for being good students for Louisa" he paused and she smiled at everything he had said so far "I don't know if she will continue to be your teacher next year, but I wish you all a good academic journey and that you can make your dreams come true."

His words were so solemn and touching that the students even clappe, Louisa grimacing as she stood beside her husband.

"You stole my lines, Gwil, I was really going to say something like that, I was just creating courage" she explained her reaction and turned to her students - I really wish you all the best, you are all wonderful in a special way, and of course , thanks for helping Gwil with the proposal and everything, I'll miss you guys."

At the end of class, Mrs. Lee hugged each of her students and Gwilym, seeing that it was a private moment, just stood aside, watching everything with pride. Then Louisa's vacation came again, she took care of her home with her husband's help, and watched him study for new tests and rehearse for new jobs, proud of him. It was on an ordinary night when they were getting ready for bed that she made sure to tell him something important that she was thinking about his work.

"You know something, Gwil?" She looked up, he was still sitting while she stretched out on the bed with her hands on her belly "I never stopped to think about how hard an actor's work is."

"Um .... that's a very interesting observation, Lou," he was intrigued by her statement. "Would you mind digging a little deeper?"

"Oh, it's just that ..." She was atypically shy "I see how hard you work and dedicate yourself, you're practically looking for a new job every day, either on TV or in the theater, I know cinema is a bit more hard, but you try anyway, and your dedication, your discipline ..."

"Go on, please," Gwilym asked, feigning vanity.

"Stop it, I'm serious" she said laughing, patting his arm "I say that because ... Hollywood makes you think it's all too easy and stardom just has to do with appearance, being with you made me see the truth about this, it takes talent and hard work too."

"Oh I ..." He widened his eyes, surprised and moved by that statement "thanks, I'm glad you think so. You know what Lou? Every job has its ups and downs and you don't always realize that, but it's true."

"Yeah, I know that now." She smiled at last, being at peace with herself over this issue that had plagued her since her feelings for Gwilym had welled up.

But now it was all right, they were together and happy, that was all that mattered, they were complete in every area of their lives. After winter, she finally returned to her work, getting used to Gwil's hitchhikers, who even though she had little business to do in the city center, made a point of leaving and picking up his wife at school.

"Have a good first day of school," he wished before she got out of the car. "I'll come get you later, if I'm late, I'll let you know."

"I know so, don't worry Gwilym, I'll be fine." She kissed his cheek, saying goodbye. "Thank you for bringing me, I love you!"

"I love you too" he smiled at her, the sweet moment made Louisa's heart beat faster "bye!"

"Goodbye!" She nodded and only then turned to enter.

It was her old place of work, but the new school year brought news in the form of unique students with their own ambitions and yearnings. She hoped to do her best to guide them through education in a good way. She took her place in the staff room, waiting for her class to begin. She was quiet and reserved as usual, until the beautiful jewel in her left hand didn't go unnoticed by anyone present.

"So it's true you got married, Miss. May?" Cartrey, another teacher asked, still doubtfully.

"Oh yes, it's true" she was a little intimidated, but soon faced her discomfort "it was a private ceremony, just for the family, we prefer it that way."

"Okay, fine, congratulations," Cartrey said and didn't bother her anymore.

She hoped no one else would speculate about her life, after all, she had just married and as far as she knew, that was pretty normal, but she knew that some people at school considered it a real miracle she had married after so many years being single. She shook her head, driving away those thoughts. Fortunately, no one said anything else. At the right time, she left, going to the classroom, the same where she had worked last year. She excused herself and went in, watching their faces expectantly, she was a bit nervous herself, just like them, but she only sighed deeply and took up her old teacher posture.

"Good morning, I'm Louisa Lee, and I'll be your history teacher," she introduced herself, still feeling a little shiver of amazement referring to herself by the surname Lee.

Louisa had already gotten used to being married, but how it reflected outwardly still amazed her, the way her co-workers noticed her. However, she understood that it would take them a while to get used to her new identity, just as she understood how wonderful it was for her to be Gwilym's wife.


	55. A friend's visit

As soon as her class ended that day, Louisa left with her students to leave, some said goodbye to her, even wished a good day, others shy and a little less attached to the teacher went their way quietly, but the teacher understood them, after all she was still getting used to them, just as they were getting used to her.

As she rounded the corner, Louisa found her husband who, on that occasion, didn't smile as broadly as he used to, which soon worried Mrs. Lee

"Is everything okay, Gwilym?" she asked at once.

"Hi Lou" he made a point of saying first "why do you say that?"

"Because it's in your face, my love," she pointed out the obvious.

"Oh ... This is more for concern" he smiled a dull smile and was silent.

She respected the moment and they walked to the car. Just a little later, Gwilym felt comfortable telling what had happened.

"You know I had an audition scheduled today, don't you?" he recalled.

"Yes, I know, I would even ask you if they postponed the test or something" Louisa pointed out "because by my accounts you wouldn't have time to come pick me up today."

"So, I'm here because ..." He snorted, his trademark of discomfort and disappointment "they canceled the audition, Lou."

"What? Oh no, Gwil, I'm so sorry about that.” She touched her husband's arm to comfort him.

"Thank you, my love" he managed to smile "the worst is that they didn't even bother to warn why."

"Well, whatever the reason, be certain it's not your fault, okay?" she assured him.

"I know that, but still, my mind keeps thinking it was a chance I missed and I should be looking for another job right now, because I have responsibilities to you and our home." Gwilym considered the reasons for being upset.

"Calm down, things aren't like that, you know that not everything happens as we wanted and that's the way life is" Louisa shrugged "we won't always receive yes."

"I know, I think so too, I just got upset" he confessed his weakness.

"But not everything is lost, Gwilym, it's not." She patted his free hand for a brief moment.

For now, Gwilym was relieved to have his wife's words of comfort. Arriving home, they prepared lunch and shared the meal together, which helped to improve Gwilym's mood. With his emotional side still somewhat shaken, he ended up taking a nap on the couch, in which Louisa was surprised to hear a low snore disturbing her to make her class planning, she laughed softly and was relieved to see that her husband had find some peace.

Louisa had gone back to work when the doorbell interrupted her for good. Gwilym had shifted a little on the couch, but it hadn't been enough to make him wake up. Mrs. Lee was surprised to see who was at her door.

"Ben! Hi!" she said louder.

"Hi, Lou, how are you? I thought I'd come see you soon, am I disturbing you?" asked the visitor and friend of the Lees.

"No, not at all," she watched him enter, only then remembered a detail. "Oh maybe you'll get in the way of Gwilym."

"Why?" Ben got confused.

"Look," Louisa said mischievously, guiding her friend into the living room.

To Lou's frustration, Gwil had already woken up and was just watching the two approach.

"Hi Ben, I'm sorry for finding me in this condition." The house owner sat on the couch.

"Don't worry, the house is yours, so feel free" Ben didn't care "I just think Mrs. Lee wanted to scare you or make me laugh at your pose when you're sleeping."

"Is that true, Louisa? I can't believe it!" Gwilym pretended to be hurt, but already expected such a prank from his wife.

"Fair enough, since you want to take pictures of me when I fall asleep, yeah, I know that, I get it," she snapped.

"But I do it because you look perfect and beautiful in your sleep," Gwilym played, being honest in his jesting tone.

"Yeah, guys, if you want me to turn around so I can't see your cute discussion just ask," Ben made sure to say and the three of them ended up laughing together.

"Sorry, Ben, you're right, make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back," Louisa told him, absent for a moment to make tea.

"How are you, Ben, any news?" Gwilym brought up a subject with his friend.

"Oh nothing different" he said relaxed "just finished the Netflix movie, I'm waiting for the next opportunity."

"Oh good, I'm happy for you." Gwilym smiled sadly. "That's just what I'm doing now."

"Oh let me guess? Didn't you pass an audition you really wanted to pass?" Ben knew well what it was and recognized the feeling.

"No, they canceled a audition I was doing today out of nowhere, I'm still a little upset about that," Gwilym said.

"Yeah, these things happen, you know how it is" Ben put a hand on his shoulder "but auditions always come up and you won't lose your chance, sometimes this job wasn't for you."

"I know what you're trying to say" Gwil managed to smile "you know I believe that too? That everything that happens to us is to put us in the right place, where we should be."

"Who knows your next job will be the biggest of your career?" Ben wished "who knows?"

"Amen, my friend!" Gwil laughed, but with hope.

Louisa then returned with tea and cookies, and was glad to see that her husband's spirits had returned.

"What did you say to make him so much better, Benny?" She shared her gaze with one another.

"That I shouldn't be upset because my next job could be the biggest of my career," Gwilym explained.

"Yeah, chances are good for that to happen!" Louisa joined their optimism.

"Who would say the youngest of the band would be the wisest too?" Gwil pointed in wonder.

"Oh don't underestimate the youngest," Lou defended, seeing that Ben was a little embarrassed by the compliment. "Emily has already given me a lot of good advice, and you, Mr. Lee, it's a youngest sibling and you're as wise as Benny."

"It may be, but today he was wiser than me," Gwilym agreed with his wife.

They then had tea together, Ben ended up talking a little more and Gwilym and Louisa listened, glad for his company. The Lees once again found it wonderful to have friends who understood and knew how to help, just as they would always like to be good friends in return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a cute chapter that I really wanted Ben to participate in to show his friendship with Gwil. Now guys, pay attention to this Gwilym job talk because it's going to be a very important thing for the PODC universe, really. I wish you all a very happy and blessed new year, that you may live great achievements and realize your dreams!


	56. 10 months later

Gwilym was surprised to find the front door of his apartment open, sure he had locked everything when he left. Perhaps the building manager had to enter there for some reason, but that wouldn't happen without warning the locals, and the manager wouldn't leave the door unlocked. For a minute, Gwilym thought the worst, if perhaps some thief had come in and taken something. As a precaution, he walked slowly into the apartment, looking through everything, nothing seemed out of place except something that shouldn't have been where it was at this time of day.

Louisa's bag was on the coffee table in the living room, which confused her husband. She should be at school at this time, not at home.

"My love? Lou? Are you here?" he called as he walked around the house.

"I'm here, Gwilym!" she tried to answer, her voice sounding muffled and discouraged.

Then he ran and opened the door of their room, finding her lying on the bed with a not good face.

"What happened? Are you okay? You got sick?" He filled her with questions, which made her smile.

"Calm down, I'm fine," she soon answered to soothe him. "I just had a stomachache at school and thought I'd better go home."

"And you didn't tell me? I could have picked you up!" he lamented.

"And hinder you at your important meeting? No way!" she shook her head "I was well enough to go home, I just threw up my snack, that's all ..."

'Threw up? So on an empty stomach, have you eaten anything since you arrived?" Gwilym became more concerned.

"No, I couldn't, I don't think I can eat anything else today." Lou was frank about her condition.

"No, you need to eat something, yes, when you feel better, at least," he advised.

"You look like my mother ..." she laughed.

"Well, let you know, Lou, that to me is a compliment," he replied back, somewhat smugly.

Even so, Gwilym let his wife rest without bothering her anymore. Maybe he was a little overkill with care, but his concern was never too much, after all he loved and cared about Louisa. Eventually, she managed to recover, getting back to work again, but what also came back was her nausea, which made her intrigued and also very angry. She had never been sick because of the school cafeteria food and now it seemed that her meal refused to stop in her stomach. The first few times this happened, a sickness remedy fixed it, but when the nausea insisted on continuing, she decided to stop it.

Like her parents, Louisa wasn't a fan of doctors and their rather cumbersome procedures, but if she had a doctor she trusted, it was her dear sister-in-law, Dr. Rory Taylor-May.

Rory was on her shift in the pediatric ward of London General Hospital when her sister-in-law suddenly appeared, which surprised her.

"Lou!" Rory was cordially radiant as always "all right with you?"

"Hi Rory, sorry to bother you, I'm not that good, but don't worry, it's nothing serious" Louisa soon explained - what happens is that ... I've been having endless nausea, and as much as I have taken medicine for it, it seems that it doesn't stop, so I thought about asking a professional for help."

"Sure, I understand you and I can help you," Rory agreed.

So she carefully examined Louisa for what Mrs. Lee ended up feeling like a child and getting annoyed with it all, even though Rory had good intentions. After all, Mrs. Taylor-May frowned, considering a possibility, but didn't want to scare her sister-in-law, she decided to ask questions that would help confirm her suspicions.

"Louisa, you have been feeling sick for a long time, haven't you?" She said gently, "is there anything else weird about you?"

"Weird? How so?" Mrs. Lee became suspicious.

"Uh ... maybe mood swings, are you angrier or more sensitive?" Rory continued to investigate.

"Maybe angrier, I confess," Lou confirmed.

"Look, I don't know how to tell you, but it may be that ..." the doctor bit her lip, but fulfilling your role as a good professional, continued "maybe you are pregnant."

"What?!" Louisa spoke louder than intended "no, no, no Rory, this is not possible, I ..."

"Probably not quite sure, but it seems to be so," the doctor confirmed, understanding her sister-in-law's reaction.

"Okay, I understand, we have both possibilities" she took a deep breath "well, there is only one way to know, isn't it?"

"Um huh," Rory muttered.

The doctor was absent a little and came back with a pregnancy test, Louisa stared at the box with some fear, but decided to go all the way to find out the truth. After taking the test, she waited with Rory for the result. When she saw it was positive, she paled and began to sweat cold.

"I'm .... I'm really ... I ..." she stammered, still scared.

"I know, it's big and scary, but it's going to be all right." Rory touched her shoulder in support.

"But Rory, that's ... wow ..." Louisa was still processing the information "I was barely getting used to this thing of being married, we don't even have a year of marriage, it's only 10 months, and ... my God , this is ... it's wonderful! Serious, unexpected, but wonderful."

Only then did she give in to tears of joy, seeing that another of her impossible dreams had come true.

"Congratulations!" Rory hugged her when she realized that Louisa was happy with the news.

"Thank you, I ..." Mrs. Lee wiped away some tears "I never imagined I was getting married let alone having a child, and now, I'm living it all, it's awesome!"

"Yeah, I know how you feel." Rory smiled, remembering her own pregnancy. "So, are you calmer now?"

"I am" Louisa managed to smile "and Rory, thanks for everything, for helping me at this moment, can I ask you one more favor?"

"Sure, no problem." The doctor gave one of her beaming smiles.

"Don't tell anyone yet, not even Jimmy, I'd rather tell Gwilym and then we'll tell the family," Lou explained.

"Yeah, no problem, I think it's better too," Rory agreed with her.

Louisa said goodbye to her sister-in-law, thanking her once again for everything and returning home. For a moment she thought she couldn't tell Gwilym at once, she figured he'd love the news, he always got along so well with kids, from their nephews to her students, but still, she needed more time to create the courage to tell.

Gwilym saw that she had gotten better by going back to work, so he asked no more questions about the sickness she had been feeling. That was when Louisa had an idea to tell her husband that soon they would be parents. It was another day of school, he was waiting for her at the school corner as usual, but his wife started to take too long. Concerned, he entered the building, heading straight for her classroom, waiting to meet her there.

He came across Louisa sitting at the table, her face seeming to wiggle all over, as if she were trying to hold back a laugh while holding a serious pose.

"What happened?" He asked, very puzzled.

"Can you read the notice on the board, Gwil, please?" Was her response, which made no sense to him until he read.

"CONGRATULATIONS DADDY!"

"Wait ..." Gwilym murmured, with wide eyes "this is not for Brian ..."

"No, not at all." Louisa approached him, shaking her head.

"You are pregnant ..." he said, not believing "that's it, isn't it? But when?"

"I found out yesterday," she explained. "I talked to Rory about my seasickness and I took a test, that's it, Gwilym, we're about to become dad and mom."

"No, we are already" he replied, full of emotion "the baby already exists, this is beautiful, Lou, beautiful ..."

"I know it happened suddenly, and I know you're still worried about your work," she said, but stopped when Gwilym touched her face.

"Deep down you know I always wanted children, I know you know, and no matter what our situation is, our child is a blessing and I couldn't be happier, really." He smiled and when his cheeks twitched, made his tears roll down his cheeks.

Then Gwilym kissed her, not caring if anyone would find them in that state there. After all, he was doing nothing wrong, it was him kissing his wife, whom he loved so much, and she bore his child, who already had a special place in their hearts.


	57. Reforms

Gwilym and Louisa were sitting in their living room, waiting for the internet to work in their favor and connect them with Tom and Ceinwun. Gwil's parents were far from them at the moment, but he would like to tell them about Louisa's pregnancy as personally as possible, and in that case, a video call was left.

"Gwilym, hi!" Said his father when he saw him, "are you all right?"

"We're alright Dad, listen, Mom are there too? We wanted to talk to both of you,” Gwil explained.

"Who's with you? Lou?" Tom wanted to know.

"Hi, Mr. Lee, it's me.” She smiled at her father-in-law.

"Hi, my girl, well, I'll call Ceinwun, don't leave," Tom advised, and went to call his wife.

"Hello, my darlings, you wanted to talk to us, here we are!" Mrs. Lee smiled.

"Okay, we ..." Gwilym sighed and smiled "we will have a baby."

"Oh my God, how beautiful!" Exclaimed his mother. "Really, Gwilym? Congratulations, congratulations Lou."

"I'm happy for you, this is wonderful," Tom expressed his joy.

After the paternal grandparents were notified, it was time for Louisa's family to hear the news. She knew how happy her parents would be, since they loved being grandparents and getting along so well with Isaac, now they would have another grandchild to share all their love and care with.

For that, Louisa made a point of inviting her parents and siblings for tea at her house, which at first frightened and surprised the other Mays. For Brian, Chrissie, Jimmy and Emily, something was unanimous, getting married had done very well to Louisa, she had come back to her family, to open her heart, as she once was.

"Right, you can let it go and tell us all about it," her mother said politely, but it still sounded demanding.

"Who are you and what did you do to my mother?" Louisa replied, sounding fun.

"Chris, don't be like that with her," Brian advised his wife, but allowing himself to laugh a little at her curiosity.

"There is nothing wrong with me." Mrs. May compiled herself "you know how much I care about you, and I know you well, calling all of us here has a special reason yes, I just want to know what it is."

"Okay" Louisa smiled, then looked at Gwilym for support, he nodded to her, letting her speak "you will have another grandchild soon."

"Oh!" Chrissie was the first to react, then hugging her daughter "my Lou! I can't believe it."

"Well, I'm not really believing myself, but that's it," her eldest daughter replied.

"Congratulations, little sister, both of you," Jimmy commented.

"Thanks, Jim," Gwilym thanked him.

"Gosh, the family keeps growing!" Emily laughed "I wish you all the best, and my nephew or niece."

"Thanks, Em," her sister thanked her.

The one who ended up crying was Brian, a little quiet and discreet, but not unnoticed.

"I thought you were going to be happy, Dad," Louisa commented beside him.

"And I am, of course I am, what makes me happy is that you have grown up and are forming your own family on the side of someone you love, and that is one of the greatest blessings in anyone's life," he justified his emotion.

"I know, I know what you're talking about," she understood, "and I totally agree."

The great news of Gwilym and Louisa soon had to reach Ben, Rami and Joe, after all the future parents wanted very much to share their joy with their dear friends. The Lees called Rami first, waiting for an answer from him as the line called.

"Gwilym, hi!" answered Malek promptly.

Gwil in turn pointed to his wife speaking first.

"Hi, Rami, it's Lou, Gwilym is here with me, how are you?" she started the conversation.

"I'm fine, do you have any special reason to call?" Rami wanted to know.

"Actually, there is" Gwilym finally said "we wanted to tell you that Lou is going to have a baby!"

"Seriously? Gwil, amazing! You must be very happy" Rami reacted "I am also happy for you, congratulations, to both of you."

"Thank you" thanked the couple and soon after was the turn to talk to Joe.

"Oh my God! Louisa, Gwilym, is that true? Are you sure?" Joe got excited "this is gonna be awesome!"

"It's a little scary, but we're happy too," Louisa confessed.

"I can't wait to meet this baby, really, I hope he likes Uncle Joe," Joe stepped forward.

"Sure he will, don't worry," Gwilym laughed.

Then they spoke to Ben, who ended up getting more emotional than expected.

"You guys as parents ... Look where you got, guys ... This is very beautiful to see, a love like yours" Ben confessed on the phone.

"Hey Ben, it makes me embarrassed, how do I answer that? I really don't know ..." Louisa replied, a little shyly.

"You don't need to answer me, just keep taking care of each other with all the love and affection," Hardy resolved the question.

"This is the easiest thing in the world for us to do," Gwilym said happily.

So they went on with their lives, preparing to receive their child at home. Organized and practical, Gwilym made a list of what he thought needed to be changed in the apartment. Everything started with the furniture, the coffee table was replaced by a round table, other furniture and sharp things were removed from the baby's reach, the sockets all covered, and of course, the baby's room began to be decorated.

Louisa thought that maybe it was a little too early for that, but she didn't discourage her husband with her different opinion. She helped him as best she could, also paying attention to the details that could be harmful to the baby. When it came to the bedroom issue, Louisa stared into the back room, currently it was a sort of junk office/warehouse that neither she nor Gwilym wanted to throw away.

"Yeah, we'll have some work here," said Mrs. Lee out loud, which Gwil reluctantly agreed to.

"Leave the heavier things to me," he advised. "let's get everything out, then we organize it in the living room's corner, in the biggest closet".

"Good idea" Louisa agreed and started to work.

They took everything out of their place, got rid of what was really unnecessary, and packed it up in their new warehouse. Now all that was missing was the decoration.

"You don't find it strange we ..." Louisa sighed while formulating her thought out loud "I don't know, maybe it's rubbish of mine, but I was thinking ... that parents prepare their children's room before meeting them, without know if they will like it or not, without knowing their tastes."

"Well, I know it's a great guess, but ... even if we go wrong with the likes of the little one, he will know that we love him and want to take care of him and that he has a good place to rest, for preparing a room just for him" Gwilym tried to calm his wife's worries.

"I hadn't thought that way," she answered, relieved by his care.

So they worked in their little baby's room, the walls were light green, the mahogany crib was placed closer to the door, so that Lou and Gwil would take care of their baby much faster. The mobile was of planets and stars, the little white wardrobe with the colorful doorknobs, inside it were the first outfits that future parents had chosen. When all was done, they agreed that all their effort and dedication was represented there, and that their child would know it because of every detail in his room.


	58. Edith's arrival

So, with everyone knowing the news, Louisa kept working for a while until her belly started to appear. Already with four months of pregnancy, she began to notice the difference in herself, and as each day drew closer to the time of her baby being born. One night she found herself staring at her belly over her larger T-shirt, thinking a lot of things, remembering to accompany her own mother in the same state so long ago, when Chrissie was pregnant with Emily.

Gwilym saw her thoughtful and reflective, but didn't interrupt her, let her have her own space of contemplation. When his wife finally moved and sat beside him, he decided to ask.

"Is everything okay with you and the little one?" it was the doubt of the future father.

"Oh yes, nothing strange" she answered promptly "sometimes he gets very quiet, hardly moves, maybe because it's too early to move, or because I was a baby that barely moved and he got it from me, I was wondering how much I feel different, both physically and mentally, and even without me knowing my child, I already have this natural instinct to protect him, I think, after all, motherhood It's natural for me."

"Glad you feel safer about that, sometimes I'm not sure about myself, you know, it's a big responsibility to raise a child," Gwilym confessed.

"Oh stop it, Gwilym Lee!" his wife laughed and patted his arm "you get along well with children!"

"True, but when it comes to my own child, I don't know, sometimes it crosses my mind if he won't like me," he kept saying what worried him.

"There's no way this will happen, you're a sweet, most devoted and loving man I know and this child knows how much you love him, I'm sure of that," Louisa said flatly, but tenderly.

"I trust you," Gwilym answered the sweetness of her words, "and Edward."

"Edward? No, that's not what we'll call our baby.” Louisa felt the need to object.

"Why not? It's a good name!" He was a little indignant.

"It's a boy name, have you ever thought of a girl name?" Mrs. Lee shot.

"Huh ... Christine?" he suggested.

"You really my mother's adulator!" She laughed, which made the baby move.

Without Louisa having to warn him, Gwilym noticed the throb of her belly, with some haste but delicacy, he touched his wife's belly.

"Hey, if you want to be Christine or Edward, depending on whether you're boy or girl, kick again," Gwilym whispered confidentially to the baby, which made Louisa laugh again and the baby reacted again.

"See? Our kid has already made his choice, Edward or Christine.” He closed the subject.

"I still have time to make you change your mind, I still have 5 months for that" she pointed an index finger at her husband and kissed his cheek.

No matter if little Lee was a boy or a girl, his parents were at least fun and loved him very much.

A while later, as Louisa followed the doctor closely, with Gwilym always by her side, they were anxious to finally find out if they had a boy or a girl. Only after the examinations for that appointment were over could future parents unravel this mystery.

"It's all right with the baby," said Dr. Werty, looking at the exams, "and well, congratulations, you'll have a girl!"

"Great!" Louisa soon exclaimed, but Gwilym was also happy with the news.

"Christine, Christine Lee!" He said aloud, delighted to learn that he would have a little girl, certain that would be her name.

"Gwilym!" Louisa put a hand to her face and sighed in frustration.

She didn't argue with her husband about what she considered foolish, but she would also like to participate in choosing her daughter's name. Arriving home, she just decided to relax watching "Downton Abbey". As much as she knew every episode very well, it was one of her favorite shows and she never tired of watching. She was reviewing the episode in which Sir Anthony had escaped from his wedding to Edith when Gwilym, somewhat afraid, approached his wife. He sat in silence and watched with her, paying attention to everything, he also knew the whole series.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, looking at Louisa, who didn't immediately look back.

"Why?" She asked, waiting for him to explain.

"I realized you were upset about me choosing a name without asking your opinion, I think I was too excited," Gwilym confessed, so regretfully, that she even made a cute wilted face.

"Thank you for understanding." The sincerity and smile helped Mrs. Lee forgiving him "you barely gave me a chance to think of the names and already had the answer on the tip of my tongue."

"Yeah, it was rushed and selfish of me," he shrugged, "but then could you think of any names? I'm not pressing you."

"No, I know you're not." She kissed his cheek to convince him that she wasn't mad. "Uh ... since I have to think, I think Edith would be perfect."

"Edith ... because of Lady Edith from the show?" Gwilym gestured to the television.

"Yes, she's my favorite character in the series, I've always related to her so much" Louisa explained the reasons for her choice "but look, if you want, I let it be Edith Christine Lee, okay?"

"I liked Edith" he was honest "but I chose Christine, not to flatter your mother, but it's because I really admire her, really."

"I know, then, since this is it" Louisa caressed the belly "we already know your name, Edith, isn't it cool, my love?"

Edith, even in her womb, reacted to her mother's voice, moving. Once again, Gwilym didn't miss the moment, also feeling his little girl move under his hand. He was glad that he and Louisa agreed, so even Edith agreed.

It must have been too late when Louisa woke up from her back pain, so uncomfortable that she decided not to sleep anymore. Careful not to wake Gwilym, she moved slowly trying to sit up.

As she straightened, she watched the view in front of her, the size of her belly covering her lap, very close to Edith being born. Thinking about it, Louisa shuddered a little, thinking that soon she would go through the whole process of birth and then begin to adapt to being a mother, caring and dedicating to someone who depended on her, would be quite a journey.

When sleep left her for good, Mrs. Lee got up, went to the kitchen and drank some water, trying to calm down. She had only a small moment of peace when she felt her legs wet, she knew exactly what that meant. Startled, she gave a muffled sigh, then concentrated on taking control of the situation.

Before she returned to their bedroom, she found Gwilym halfway.

"What are you doing up?" Despite the urgent situation, Mrs. Lee was surprised by that.

"I didn't see you and I was worried" Gwilym justified "you don't look well ..."

"Yeah, I know, I'm glad you're up" Louisa returned to the urgency, speaking hastily "Edith is coming ..."

"Oh my God ..." Gwilym replied, but his brain worked fast enough despite the emotion.

They got ready quickly to leave and in an instant were on their way to the hospital. The constant contractions pained Louisa, but she held on. Once there, she was sent to the delivery room, and Gwilym didn't take a second and prepared himself with the necessary equipment and procedures to accompany his daughter's birth.

In their haste, they didn't even remember to warn family and friends, they focused on the present and necessary moment. Louisa took a deep, concentrated breath, strengthened by the love and willingness to meet her daughter, without fear of what was to come.

Gwilym took her hand, they just exchanged a look of joy, and while Louisa made one last effort, he looked at the doctor, expecting to see Edith for the first time.

The little girl cried loudly, which caught the attention of her parents. Even from afar, leaving her post beside Louisa, Gwilym followed the nurses' every move, taking her daughter, checking and examining, until they finally handed Edith over to her mother.

"Oh my God ..." Gwilym murmured once again that day, amazed.

"She's here, Gwilym, now it's for real ..." Louisa answered him, her voice muffled by crying, still watching Edith for a second.

Her eyes were the same tone as her father, who curiously stared at Louisa and Gwilym for the first time, she had the tip of her thin, delicate nose that resembled his nose, her chin was delicate, her cheeks raised and rosy as Louisa's. Her hair was honey-colored, the perfect combination of blond and light brown.

"You are my treasure, Edith ..." said her mother, thrilled "I already love you so much ..."

"And I love you both ..." Gwilym looked at his daughter and then at his wife.

A nurse ended up taking Edith again, she needed a shower. While they were apart, their parents had time to get ready and warn the whole family that Edith Lee was already with them.

Suddenly Lou's and Gwil's relatives filled the maternity window, watching Edith.

"She looks a lot like Gwilym, don't you think?" Brian commented with Chrissie.

"You mean she looks like you, Dad?" Emily said playfully, and soon the family understood.

"No, I think she looks like Lou when she was a child, really," Chrissie told her impressions.

"Excuse me, guys, but I think she really looks like Edith," the newborn mother defended, surprising everyone.

Louisa received hugs and congratulations from the family, as did Gwilym. A moment later, the couple could take Edith home, beginning the new phase of their lives.


	59. First months

Luckily, Gwilym, Louisa, and Edith had a good night's sleep when they returned from the hospital. The new parents knew this was very rare, so they were grateful for the rest as they were very tired.

The next day was marked by the changes Edith brought. Before worrying about her own breakfast, Louisa made sure to breastfeed her daughter. Gwilym found them about to see Edith belching for the first time, it might be a disgusting act, but he found it the cutest thing in the world.

"Good morning, my little princess!" He kissed the little girl's forehead, which made her cry for no apparent reason.

Gwilym was confused, but Louisa's instinct made her rock her daughter gently in order to calm her down.

'What did I do wrong?" his father worried, questioning himself.

"Oh, I really don't know, honey, but don't worry," Louisa reassured him, while Edith was calmer too.

When the little girl recognized her father, she flashed a huge smile and it was clear to Gwilym that her daughter still liked him.

"Okay, Edith, no kisses on the forehead." He surrendered to his little girl's will.

Only then did the couple eat their breakfast and enjoy the rest of the day to stay with their daughter, watching her every little advance. The first dirty diaper, Gwilym made sure to change, even with Edith crying and he finding himself a dumb for not understanding how a diaper worked. Louisa let him venture under her instructions and finally Edith's father managed to fulfill his mission. Over time, the couple became adept at this task.

They got used to letting Edith play in the middle of the room, surrounding her with cubes, dolls, and a gift that surprised her parents by appearing to become their daughter's favorite almost instantly. It was a plush of the Twelfth Doctor, since the Eleventh ones were gone, Louisa and Gwilym had bought for their daughter together, and the little girl just loved to brush the doll's soft white cotton hair.

!Oh, how wonderful! She is whovian just like us!" Gwilym commented on this fact, as if all his fears about it were gone.

"Yeah, she likes something we like without us forcing anything" Louisa smiled, agreeing "but let's wait a little longer for her to watch the show."

"Of course, her eyes are still very sensitive to television," her father agreed with all concern.

"Oh Gwil, you're too beautiful being all that careful." His wife didn't resist and kissed his cheek, but grimaced as soon as her lips parted from his face, which made Edith look curiously at her mother.

"What is it?" Gwil was confused by that reaction.

"Your beard scratched me, ah! I think that's what bothered Di the other day, you accidentally scratched her forehead" Louisa deduced.

"Seriously? Well, you can fix this with a little more lotion.” Gwilym felt a little embarrassed.

"No problem, really." Louisa soothed him again, kissing him on the lips this time, showing that everything was fine, no beard hurt her that much.

When Edith was 5 months old, it was her day to be presented, according to the traditions of the Redeeming Church, which Louisa and Gwilym began to attend again, the same church of her childhood and the same place where they were married. Gwilym let his wife get ready while he get their daughter ready, Louisa had chosen a light green dress and white slippers for Edith to wear. He dressed her with the greatest patience in the world, while the little baby looked at him curiously.

"I hope you enjoy our little trip today, my love." Gwilym smiled at her.

As soon as the three were ready, they prepared for the car ride. Edith generally disliked her seat, was irritated and crying until she realized she had no choice but to be quiet and her parents decide to get her out of her little immobilizing prison. Over time, the little girl really calmed down. The family then took their usual place, waiting for the service to begin.

The presentation would be only a small part of the church's events that Sunday morning, the musical moment and the sermon would speak normally, and only then would the Lees be called upon for their daughter to receive a special blessing. Both Edith's paternal grandparents and maternal grandparents were there, Tom and Ceinwun made a point of being present at the special moment, leaving Birmingham for the presentation and to see their youngest granddaughter again. They were all sitting together and attentive, when after the sermon Minister Mason began to give the warnings.

"That said, there is something special that we will do now" he addressed the congregation "first I would like to invite Gwilym and Louisa Lee, along with their little daughter and other family members, to the presentation."

The family obeyed the minister, crowding in front of everyone. Louisa knew exactly what to do, handing Edith to the minister, luckily the little girl didn't cry. Maybe it was because Mason had experience holding children from all the presentations he made.

"Reach out, please," he said, and they all did, "here is Edith Christine Lee, we ask the Lord and wish her to live a happy, full and peaceful life, fulfilling her dreams, leaving her mark of goodness, courage and love wherever she goes. May her parents, family, friends always guide her in the path of good, amen."

"Amen!! they all said in agreement.

Only then could Louisa take Edith back in her lap, and the two of them together with the family waited for the service to end.

"She's been so grown up since the last time we saw her," Grandma Ceinwun commented on her granddaughter.

"Don't even tell me, I realized she grew up fast" Louisa agreed "now that I'm a mother, I know how it feels to want your children to be small forever."

"But on the other hand, it's gratifying to see them grow up," Brian countered gently, "I'm very proud to see that my little girl now has her own little girl to care for and love."

"Okay, Dad, don't be so dramatic," the younger Mrs. Lee eventually accepted growth "growing is part of life itself, in various parts of our lives."

"Speaking of parts of life, will you allow me to record this special moment?" Brian already had his cell phone in his hand.

"Oh, I was just waiting for that," Chrissie added.

The Lees just smiled, positioning themselves for the picture, Gwilym and his parents had already adapted to Brian's habit. He ended up taking a good amount of pictures, each one wanted to hold Edith a little, after all she was their little girl. In Brian's turn, Gwilym took their picture instead of his father-in-law, even capturing the moment Edith pulled her grandfather's hair, which made him laugh but also feel a little pain and Louisa came to her father's rescue. .

"She's really smarter, and a little tricky." Tom laughed.

Indeed, Edith's paternal grandfather was right, her moments of discovery and insight were precious to her own growth and the pride of her family.


	60. A walk on the park

Autumn had come to London, the wind in the city had increased, but by contrast, the tone of the leaves and grass had already reached that typical brownish orange color, which made it all the more beautiful. As time went on, Louisa and Gwilym shared their time taking care of their little girl and her work. He was after tests and contracts, she was dealing with the last months of maternity leave, so the couple would have to get organized about who would take care of Edith if they were working at the same time.

For now, most of Gwilym's tests were in the morning, leaving only mother and daughter at home for a long time together. Edith had already begun to crawl, and inside the apartment, without much ambience and natural elements, her mother thought that perhaps the apartment, as much as it was her daughter's house, with the warmth of her crib and her favorite toys, was so boring to someone so young that she was beginning to discover the world. Louisa then had an idea, but waited for Gwilym to arrive to tell him.

In that time, she ended up replaying her favorite episodes of Doctor Who's most recent season with Doctor, Graham, Yaz and Ryan. Occasionally, Edith would watch the television while biting her stuffed Doctor's hair, paying attention, somewhat absorbed and involved. Her mother laughed softly at that.

"I knew you would like it, it's in your blood ..." Louisa said and Edith looked at her, a little confused "I know, one day you will understand what Mom means."

The little girl kept watching the television while her mother kissed her cheek. At one point, Edith was afraid of the Stenza, even crying and lifting her arms so that her mother would pick her up.

"Oh, that's okay, Di" Louisa comforted her "they're just some toothy space idiots, wait, I don't think I should say idiot around you, dumb, dumb is better".

In the New Year episode, Louisa passed on the scariest parts, daleks still scared her. They both heard the front door open, which could only mean one thing. Edith's mother smiled as she watched her attentively and opened a huge, fuzzy but cute smile.

"Who is it? Is it daddy?" Louisa urged her on, and before he could hold her, she crawled toward Gwilym, who picked her up and lifted her into midair.

"Hi, my princess, I missed you too," he laughed, glad to see his daughter's reaction.

"Gwil, I'm glad you're here" Lou stood on tiptoe to reach him and kiss him "how's the weather outside?"

"Winding, but nice, why?" He was helpful and curious.

"What do you think of we taking a walk? For Edith to take a breath, and so do we, to be honest" Mrs. Lee explained.

"Where are we going?" Gwilym smiled at the thought.

"Hyde Park, or St. James, or another park," Louisa suggested.

"St. James then" he decided "it's closer."

Louisa got herself ready and her daughter and the three Lees left. Of course Edith began to cry as soon as she was seated, but her parents had learned a few tricks to get around it. Gwilym turned on the radio, "Hello Goodbye" from the Beatles started playing and her little girl started laughing. Neither he nor Louisa could explain why this happened, but that was Edith's reaction whenever she heard this song.

A little while later, the family was walking, Edith was now sitting in the cart, while her mother pushed her and she watched everything around her, the clouds, the birds, the other people. She was really entertained and distracted, not even aware of the seriousness of the things her parents were talking about.

"How was it in the studio?" Louisa asked her husband about his last job.

"It went well, I did some things, they got the cast together and Lou, honestly, I'm worried." Gwilym let her fears appear.

"Worried, why?" Louisa had her own theories about what had happened, but chose not to alarm her husband.

"I don't know if they'll renew the show, which means I'll have to look for another role soon," he explained.

"Oh no, but Gwilym, calm down, you aren't sure of the decision that the studio will make, it may be favorable for us1 Mrs. Lee remained optimistic 'and don't worry, our finances are well balanced, we're taking care of everything together.'

'I know, it's my responsibility too" he gave her a sad smile "okay, let's wait and see what will happen."

"Something good, I'm sure, you just have to have faith" Louisa reminded him, understanding.

"I do I do, I just get anxious," he admitted.

"I know, just take a deep breath and move on, okay? Don't forget that no matter what happens, I love you" she was a little more energetic.

"I love you too, Lou." Gwilym smiled at her, completely grateful for his wife's support.

Eventually, they had to get back in the car when Edith needed new diapers. Gwilym was a little distracted while Louisa took care of their daughter, he was really worried about getting a new job.

"I think the walk is over, isn't it, Di?" he said to the little girl.

"For me, yes, it will be time for her to sleep soon, and if she doesn't fall asleep she will be very moody" Louisa anticipated, knowing her daughter well.

Gwilym nodded and then took her family back home. At the sound of "Hello Goodbye" again, Louisa noticed her husband's concern for the wrinkle between his eyes, all she wanted was to make him feel better. By the time they got home, Edith was almost asleep, Louisa let Gwilym put her to sleep.

"I'm going out, I'll be right back," she whispered, vaguely explaining her absence to her husband.

"Okay" he was confused, but asked no more questions, he knew his wife's way very well.

Gwilym stayed home, just admiring his sleeping daughter. He loved Edith, and seeing her grow up, being her father was one of his greatest joys and achievements. And now all his efforts were to make sure his daughter and wife were all right.

Louisa returned shortly after, walking slowly into Edith's room, careful not to wake her up. She touched Gwilym's arm to warn her that she was there, then opened her fist right in front of him, revealing a white chocolate candy.

"What is it?" he said loudly and surprised.

"Sh! You're going to make the little angel wake up,” she scolded.

He laughed quietly as they left the room.

"This, my dear husband, is for you, for me too, but more for you" Louisa offered him the candy again, he took it this time.

They sat facing each other, she left the box of chocolates between them.

"Thanks," Gwilym said after his second candy.

"You're welcome, I had to do something to cheer you up and chocolate never fails that." She smiled with satisfaction.

"You're absolutely right." He came over and kissed her, but they were interrupted by his cell phone.

Louisa let him answer, and that call lasted much longer than she thought it would.


	61. An inevitable situation

As soon as the call to Gwilym ended, he hurried out of the house. Louisa only had a chance to ask questions about her husband's haste when he stopped to kiss her and Edith's forehead.

"Where are you going? What happened?" Mrs. Lee demanded explanations.

"They called me to retake a test, they asked me to be discreet, I don't know why, but you know, I need to go see what this is" Gwilym sounded desperate, anxious.

"Of course, I understand you, hurry up, call me later" Louisa understood "good luck."

"Thanks, I love you" he said before closing the door.

Louisa didn't have time to say an answer, just smiled. She decided not to worry so much, it was understandable that Gwilym was anxious, since he had so many worries in his head. All she could do was hope that he would come back with good news.

Eventually, the actor returned home, seemed calm and light, with no more of the afflictions he was feeling before. Therefore, Louisa was curious to know the reason for the improvement in her husband's condition.

"Gwil ..." Mrs. Lee called out to him, watching him take care of Edith as she prepared dinner.

Gwilym made a face of apprehension, his wife could call him by his nickname when she was angry, she always made a point of calling him by his full name, stressing how much she loved him for his identity, but now, he started thinking about how to deal with her suspicion.

"Hi, Lou" he stood up and gave her his most conciliatory smile.

"I wanted to know how it went there, it seems that everything worked out, after all" she tried to instigate him.

"Yes, that's what happened" he said, willing to end the matter, trying to think of something else to talk about "and you and Di? Did you have fun together?"

"Ah yes, I think this girl already likes Doctor Who, even before she learns to speak or walk, which is amazing! Louisa laughed when she remembered "she was very attentive while I was watching, but on the one hand, it was to be expected, because we all like the series."

"Yes" Gwilym got a little nervous suddenly, taking a deep breath "it's such an old thing, but even so, so many people like it, I mean, people from different generations. When the show debuted, for example ..."

"What do you mean by when the show debuted?" that subject was starting to intrigue Louisa again.

"I thought my favorite historian could tell me more about it, you are the expert on the subject" he gave her another tight smile.

"Well, it was a little difficult when the show debuted, you know? It coincided with the death of President Kennedy and no one paid much attention to Doctor Who until the following week" she said.

"You see? I had forgotten that" Gwilym commented "The show is about history too and was a little influenced by history, by the way, when did history begin at all?"

"I'm going to forgive you because you said you weren't that good at History at school" Mrs. Lee laughed, kissing her husband's cheek.

She concentrated more on finishing dinner and they ate together, but his desire to learn hadn't passed as his hunger was over.

"So, Lou" he called after cleaning up the kitchen "you didn't answer my question, when did history start."

"I think this question is more philosophical than anything, but historians have their own answer to that" Louisa was enjoying the conversation "it would be when writing emerged, it's the starting point of what we consider History."

"So the cave men aren't officially historic?" Gwilym came up with doubt.

"Prehistoric, since they didn't have a written language" Louisa corrected him, touching his face.

"And then, humanity evolved" he added and waited for his wife to tell more.

"In certain terms, great evolutions, the Mesopotamians with their beautiful gardens, Egyptians with their mathematics and their perfect mummification process, Greeks with philosophy and democracy, Romans with military strategies, and of course" Louisa paused when she realized who was very excited "they ruled the world over to the barbarian invasions and then, with a little more time and changes, they gave rise to European countries."

"There are really many facts to understand, I don't know how you can know all this and not forget" he smiled, impressed.

"It's easy when you like what you are studying" she laughed in response "do you want me to continue?"

"Please, it's great" he asked and for a moment she noticed that he was serious.

"Okay, all I said is the Ancient Age, then the dark Age of Darkness begins, or the Middle Ages, when people lived less time and very sick, that's when the famous Black Death happened" she pointed out "then with the great navigations and discoveries of the New World, the Modern Age, with the Renaissance of Da Vinci and Michelangelo, later Contemporary Age, which continues today. Any questions?"

"I think not" Gwilym laughed at her tone of a teacher, he really was looking like an exemplary student.

"But why did I give you this class for free?" Lou questioned "seriously, I was enjoying explaining it, but I know it can be quite annoying to keep hearing me talk over and over."

"What? No, I would spend hours and hours just listening to you" Gwilym was part sincere and part charming.

"Don't get me this one, Gwilym Lee!" she laughed, hard to believe it, but she knew her husband had good intentions.

"Okay, then, we can be silent, while we see more Doctor Who, if you haven't gotten sick of it yet" Gwilym suggested.

"Are you kidding? Never!" the invitation excited Mrs. Lee.

She got up and Gwilym followed her into the living room, they left Edith playing on the carpet as usual, very close to their eyes. He took advantage that he had suggested what to watch to choose which season they watched. He ended up opting for his favorites, with the origin of the eleventh Doctor, as Amy and Rory joined their adventures. This time, Gwilym paid much more attention to the companions than any others he had seen.

In the following days, he continued to see other seasons, from 1963 to 1987, from 2005 to 2019. Louisa thought that no one else could love Doctor Who as much as her husband, but so far so good, she knew that not even a time traveler alien would take her and Edith's place in his heart.

With the family gathered in the living room in front of the TV, in a quiet and calm moment, many things were going on in Louisa and Gwilym's head.

Since she met him, so hesitant and withdrawn in the beginning, she had no idea they could get to where they were now, married and with a little girl. Fear tried to stop Louisa from fulfilling her deepest dreams, but she faced it, gave in to the most beautiful of feelings, and had achieved everything it could offer her. And everything had happened in a natural way, as if it had to happen, as if it had been written.

Gwilym wouldn't have been able to imagine that he would fall in love with the daughter of Brian May, the girl who kindly came to visit him at work and he soon extended his friendship to her. He couldn't prevent this friendship from becoming love, no matter how much he tried to think of another solution. The only way to resolve the whole situation that seemed so complicated was to be together.

They couldn't move away from each other, because being together, being right where they were, with little Edith being the living symbol of their love, was what had to happen, it was inevitable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we have come to the end of this wonderful saga. Guys, how I loved writing this story, seriously. I think Gwilym and Louisa were one of the most challenging couples for me to write, with all the development of their personalities and feelings, at all stages of the story. I just have to thank everyone who read and supported my idea, which seemed a little strange at first, but now that it's done, I believe everything went well. Ah, don't be sad, the story of Gwilym, Louisa and Edith continues in the story "Life goes on". Be sure to follow it. Thanks again and see you next time!


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